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*•  And  erizinij  ilic  boy  by  the  shoulder,  tiimecl  him  over,  and 
«<^od  across  hiin,  kcci'ing  a  firui,  and,  as  il  scciueU,  a  ilisablintf 
hol>U"    Page  73. 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES. 


:2l  Sale. 


BY  CHARLOTTE  ELIZABETH. 


NEW-YORK  : 

M.   W.    DODD, 

BRICK  CHUHCH  CHAPEL,  OPPOSITE  THE  CITY  HALL. 
MDCCCXLII. 


UNIVERSITY  PRESS— JOHN  F.  TROW,  PRINTER. 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 


PART  I. 

"It  is  high  time,"  said  Edward  Seymour  to 
his  brother,  "  to  let  this  Tutor  of  ours  know  we 
are  not  his  slaves.  He  is  engaged  to  teach  us, 
and  we  are  willing  to  learn,  as  far  as  is  reason- 
able, what  he  chooses  to  set  us ;  but  I  have  no 
notion  of  being  domineered  over  at  the  rate  we 
are." 

"  To  be  sure  not,"  said  Frank ;  "  I  am  eleven, 
and  you  nearly  thirteen  ;  and  certainly  we  two 
ought  to  be  more  than  a  match  for  this  grand 
gentleman,  who  may  be  very  glad  if  we  do  what 
he  requires  of  us  in  a  civil  way,  and  not  .take 
upon  himself  to  lord  it  over  us." 

"  Was  not  it  a  good  joke,  Frank,  to  hear 
him  telling  how  things  were  managed  at  his 
school,  where  the  master's  word  was  law,  and 
1* 


b  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

no  boy  had  a  notion  of  rebelling,  as  he  calls  it  1 
A  fine  sneaking  set  they  grew  up,  no  doubt — 
a  regular  pack  of  old  women,  like  our  worthy 
Tutor  himself." 

"  I  believe  it  was  the  way  in  most  of  the 
schools  then,"  remarked  Frank ;  "  but  things  are 
altered  for  the  better  now.  Why,  Phil  Taylor 
told  me  that  at  the  end  of  the  last  half-year  the 
boys  of  his  school  got  mightily  praised  for  not 
smashing  the  windows  as  they  did  in  the  half 
before  it.  Masters  are  beginning  to  know  their 
places,  which  are  some  pegs  lower  than  they 
used  to  fancy.  As  for  Mr.  Wright,  we'll  soon 
let  him  into  that  secret  too." 

Edward  laughed,  and  then  said,  "  The  worst 
of  it  is,  that  he  will  be  sure  to  complain  to  Papa, 
and  he  will  order  us  to  do  what  he  thinks  right." 

".Well,  in  that  case  we  shall  be  obeying 
Papa,  not  the  Tutor,  which  will  be  something 
gained.  I  have  no  objection  to  obey  Papa,  be- 
cause he  is  reasonable,  and  certainly  thinks  of 
our  good  in  what  he  does." 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  7 

Edward  agreed ;  adding,  "  Besides,  there  is 
a  direct  commandment  to  obey  our  parents; 
but  as  for  letting  other  people  master  us,  I 
know  of  no  reason  for  it,  but  a  great  many  good 
ones  against  it,  unless  they  can  prove  to  us  that 
they  are  right  in  every  thing  they  order,  and 
we  wrong." 

This  conversation  took  place  in  a  play- 
ground belonging  to  the  boys,  which  was  fenced 
round  with  a  thin  circle  of  laurels  and  other 
evergreen  shrubs ;  outside  of  the  inclosure  ran 
a  broad  walk,  where  Mr.  Seymour  was  accus- 
tomed to  take  exercise.  The  young  gentlemen, 
while  discoursing  as  above,  had  raised  their 
voices  so  that  their  father,  passing  at  the  time, 
heard  every  word ;  and  great  grief  it  caused 
him.  He  stopped,  and  calling  to  them  through 
the  bushes,  inquired  whether  they  would  like  to 
accompany  him  in  a  long  walk  that  he  was 
going  to  take.  The  boys  jumped  at  the  propo- 
sal, and  were  presently  at  his  side. 

After  some  general  conversation,  Mr.  Sey- 


S  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

mour  said,  "  I  suppose,  my  lads,  you  did  not 
mean  to  make  any  secret  of  the  opinions  and 
intentions  you  were  both  declaring  just  now : 
the  tone  in  which  you  spoke  made  them  public 
to  all  passers-by." 

**  We  did  not  suppose  any  body  was  near, 
Papa,"  replied  Edward ;  "  or  rather  I  should 
say,  we  forgot  it  altogether." 

"  I  am  glad,  however,  that  I  was  within 
hearing,  my  dear  boy ;  for  you  have  taken  up 
some  very  dangerous  notions,  and  are  most  se- 
riously in  the  wrong.  Resistance  of  authority 
is  a  greater  offence  than  you  seem  to  be  aware 
of." 

"  But  we  never  dreamed  of  resisting  your 
authority,  Papa :  we  agreed  that  we  ought  to 
submit  to  it." 

*'  Yes,  I  heard  you ;  and  I  also  heard  the 
grounds  on  which  you  were  willing  to  submit  to 
it ;  namely,  that  my  commands  are  reasonable, 
and  that  I  seek  your  good." 

"  And  is  not  that  true,  sir  ?" 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  S* 

"  I  hope  SO ;  but  that  is  not  the  foundation 
on  which  your  obedience  ought  to  stand.  Lis- 
ten to  me,  my  dear  boys ;  for  you  are  treading 
among  snares  and  pitfalls  of  which  it  is  my  duty 
to  warn  you ;  and  I  feel  it  a  great  encourage- 
ment that  I  should  have  been  led  within  hear- 
ing of  a  conversation  but  for  which  I  might 
have  remained  ignorant  of  your  present  dan- 
ger." 

Edward  and  Frank  stole  a  look  at  each 
other ;  that  of  the  elder  seemed  to  say  that  their 
father  was  making  too  much  of  a  small  matter, 
— and  that  of  the  younger,  that  he  did  not  mean 
to  be  convinced  by  any  thing  he  should  hear. 
However,  they  said  nothing,  for  they  both 
loved  and  respected  their  Papa ;  and  Mr.  Sey- 
mour having  taken  out  his  small  Bible,  thus  re- 
sumed : 

"  You  began  by  protesting  against  what  you 
consider  an  overstretch  of  your  Tutor's  autho- 
rity 1" 

«  Yes,  Papa." 


10  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

"You  then  denounced  the  old  system  of 
strict  government  in  schools ;  and  observed  that 
the  boys  so  disciplined  must  have  grown  up  a 
sneaking  set  ?" 

"  Something  of  that  sort,  Papa." 

"  Then  you  quoted  with  satisfaction  an  in- 
stance to  prove  that  the  authority  of  superiors 
was  being  disputed,  and  young  people  begin- 
ning to  transgress  with  impunity ;  adding  a  de- 
termination to  act  upon  the  same  plan  with 
your  own  Tutor  ?" 

No  answer  was  given:  the  boys  looked 
rather  foolish. 

"Then  you  agreed  that  if  I  was  appealed  to 
by  Mr.  Wright,  you  would  submit  to  me,  for  the 
reasons  I  just  now  stated  ?" 

«  Yes,  Papa." 

"  And  Edward  finished  by  acknowledging 
the  force  of  God's  commandment  in  reference 
to  parents  and  children,  but  which  he  said  went 
no  further,  nor  did  it  require  you  to  submit  to 
any  other  person,  unless  he  could  prove  himself 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  11 

to  be  in  the  right,  and  you  in  the  wrong.  Now 
say,  have  I  or  have  I  not  correctly  stated  the 
purport  of  your  discourse  ?" 

"You  certainly  have  done  so,  Papa,"  an- 
swered Edward :  "  exactly  as  we  said  it," 
added  Frank. 

"  Now,  my  children,"  said  Mr.  Seymour, 
solemnly  and  affectionately  addressing  them,  "  I 
need  not  repeat  to  you  what  you  have  learned 
out  of  this  blessed  book,  and  what  your  expe- 
rience, young  as  you  are,  has  often,  by  your 
own  confession,  proved  to  you — that  man's  na- 
tural heart  is  corrupt  and  evil,  full  of  all  wick- 
edness, and  always  ready  to  rebel  against  God. 
It  has  been  so  from  the  day  of  Adam's  trans- 
gression ;  but  we  are  here  also  taught  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  expect  a  great  increase  of  evil, 
in  one  form  especially,  among  professing  Chris- 
tians, in  these  latter  days ;  and  I  want  to  show 
you  some  remarkable  features  in  that  prediction. 
Here  it  is,  the  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy,  third 
chapter,  second,  third,  and  fourth  verses.  Read 
them,  Edward." 


12  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

The  boy  obeyed,  and  read,  "  For  me^i  shall 
be  lovers  of  their  own  selves,  covetous,  boasters, 
proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to  parents, — 
unthankful,  unholy  ;  without  natural  affection, 
truce-breakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent,  fierce, 
despisers  of  those  that  are  good,  traitors, 
heady,  high-minded,  lovers  of  pleasure  more 
than  lovers  of  God  ;  having  a  form  of  godliness, 
but  denying  the  power  thereof :  from  such  turn 
away." 

"  And  I  would  turn  away  from  such  charac- 
ters. Papa,"  continued  Edward ;  "  and  not  for 
the  world  would  I  belong  to  such  a  black  list." 

"  Nor  I,  indeed.  Papa,"  added  Frank. 

"  Not  of  purpose,  I  trust,  would  my  dear 
boys  have  any  thing  to  do  with  such  transgres- 
sors," said  Mr.  Seymour ;  "  but  when  I  see  all 
around  me  proofs  that  the  *  perilous  times' 
here  spoken  of  by  St.  Paul  are  come,  and  when 
I  find  the  tempter  trying  to  plant  in  your  young 
bosoms  the  seeds  of  these  vile  principles,  I  can- 
not but  tremble,  and  seek  to  w^arn  you.     It  is 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  13 

too  true,  what  you  noticed,  Frank,  that  in 
schools,  first  instituted  for  the  stricter  preserva- 
tion of  discipline,  the  '  heady '  and  '  high- 
minded  '  are  prevailing  to  create  disorder.  They 
are  '  fierce '  in  resenting  whatever  would  con- 
trol them ;  they  are  '  proud '  in  asserting  their 
presumed  independence ;  '  unthankful '  for 
much  care  bestowed,  much  error  pardoned,  and 
much  indulgence  granted  by  those  above  them  : 
and  while  '  traitors '  to  the  persons  in  authority, 
they  are  '  despisers  of  those  that  are  good ' 
among  their  companions,  who  will  not  join  in 
their  misdoings;  and  'boasters'  of  that  for 
which  they  ought  to  be  most  bitterly  ashamed. 
See  how  much  of  the  character  from  which  you 
shrink  belongs  to  that  which  you  are  desirous 
to  assume!" 

"  But  if  I  was  in  a  school  I  should  not  join 
them.  Papa,"  said  Frank. 

"  Your  wish  to  introduce  the  same  system  at 
home  proves  that  you  would,"  answered  the 
father.  *'  The  object  that  Satan  places  in  the 
2 


14  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

view  of  those  whom  he  thus  misleads  is  what  he 
teaches  them  to  call  independence.  They  are 
'  lovers  of  their  own  selves '  by  nature,  as  we 
all  are ;  and  he  turns  them  from  seeking  that 
which  is  really  good  for  themselves  in  every 
sense,  to  be  '  covetous '  of  present  ease,  liberty, 
and  impunity  in  mischief,  and  so  by  degrees  he 
fills  out  the  character  here  drawn  by  the  Apos- 
tle." 

"  St.  Paul  says  '  men,'  not  school-boys,"  ob- 
served Edward. 

"True ;  and  what  we  desire  the  man  to  be- 
come, to  that  we  carefully  train  the  boy  :  Satan 
is  too  cunning  to  neglect  bending  the  young 
sapling,  to  the  form  that  he  ivishes  the  tree  to 
take ;  and  many  a  tender  plant  he  is  now  twist- 
ing to  his  wicked  purpose,  by  instilling  into  the 
youthful  mind  such  notions  as  you  were  giving 
utterance  to  this  morning." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  think  he  was  doing  so 
to  me,  Papa,"  said  Edward. 

"  Then  pay  particular  regard,  my  dear,  to 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  15 

the  warning  mercifully  given  ;  and  answer  me 
a  few  questions  that  I  wish  to  put.  In  the  first 
place,  whose  authority  do  you  confess,  as  being 
supreme  and  irresistible  over  all  V 

"  God's  authority,  sir." 

"  Who  is  head  over  all  things  to  his  church ; 
holding  all  power  both  in  heaven  and  earth ; 
King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords  V 

"  Jesus  Christ." 

"  Cannot  his  authority  be  resisted  ?" 

The  boys  considered  a  moment,  and  Frank 
said,  "  Yes ;  there  is  a  great  deal  in  the  Second 
Psalm  about  the  kings  and  rulers  and  people 
taking  counsel  together  to  resist  him  :  and  the 
Lord  says  to  him  also,  '  Sit  thou  at  my  right 
hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool.' 
There  are  many  other  passages  to  show  it." 

"  A  great  number,  indeed,"  answered  Mr. 
Seymour.  "  Multitudes  are  ever  declaring,  like 
the  citizens  in  the  parable,  '  We  will  not  have 
this  man  to  reign  over  us.'  Now,  if  Christ  is 
to  be  resisted  in  his  office  as  king,  how  can  it 


16  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

be  done  ?  You  cannot  march  against  hira ;  you 
cannot  make  war  upon  him ;  you  cannot  alter 
the  course  of  his  providence,  nor  resist  his 
mighty  power  if  he  puts  it  forth  to  crumble  you 
into  dust." 

"  I  think  I  begin  to  understand  you  now, 
Papa,"  said  Edward.  "  Our  Lord  Jesus  being 
the  King  of  kings,  an  earthly  king  is  only,  as  it 
were,  his  viceroy." 

"  Exactly  so,  my  dear  child.  As  a  viceroy- 
represents  the  monarch,  acts  in  his  name,  re- 
ceives honour  and  submission  for  him,  and  can 
indict  any  one  for  high  treason  who  rebels 
against  his  authority,  so  the  kings  of  earth  derive 
their  power  frotn  Christ,  being  raised  up  to  rule, 
and  appointed  by  his  secret  providence ; 
and  here  we  have  gained  one  step  in  our  dis- 
coveries. A  man  who  rebels  against  his  law- 
ful king,  commits  treason  against  the  Lord 
Christ." 

"  I  see  that  now,"  said  Frank :  "  and  it  makes 
treason  look  blacker  than  ever.     I  hope  I  shall 


DANGERS    AND   DUTIES.  17 

always  be  a  loyal  subject,  and  no  traitor."  He 
took  off  his  hat,  and  raising  his  voice,  cried  out, 
"  God  save  the  Queen,"  an  example  which  his 
brother  immediately  followed ;  while  their 
father,  also  uncovering  his  head,  devoutly  eja- 
culated, "  Amen !" 

"  Oh,  how  I  do  hate  treason !"  resumed 
Frank,  taking  a  long  stride,  in  the  energy  of 
his  feelings.  "  Thank  you.  Papa,  for  teaching 
me  to  see  how  doubly  wicked  it  is." 

"  I  am  glad  I  have  succeeded  in  showing  you 
its  extreme  sinfulness,  my  boy ;  but  this  is  not 
all ;  remember,  it  is  written  that  Christ  is  head 
OVER  ALL  THINGS  to  his  Church,  that  is,  to  the 
whole  company  of  them  that  believe ;  so  a 
Christian  wall  always  see  the  Lord  Jesus  to  be 
the  Head,  and  will  view  every  thing  in  its  proper 
rank  beneath  him,  the  supreme  Governor.  Thus, 
you  see,  He  is  over  me,  your  father  j  and  the 
duty  you  owe  me,  the  honour,  the  obedience,  the 
respect,  are  due  to  me  on  Christ's  behalf,  be- 
cause he  is  Chief  in  every  thing,  and  gives  me 
2* 


18  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

the  place  I  hold  over  you,  to  govern  you  for 
Him." 

The  boys  looked  much  surprised,  as  they 
turned  their  gaze  upon  their  father,  and  together 
said,  "  We  never  thought  of  that." 

"  Indeed  !  Does  not  the  Scripture  bid  you 
obey  your  parents  '  in  the  Lord  V  What  did 
you  suppose  it  to  mean  ?" 

After  a  pause,  they  confessed  they  had  not 
considered  its  meaning. 

"  But  you  ought  to  consider  the  meaning  of 
all  that  you  read  in  this  precious  book,  particu- 
larly what  is  addressed  to  yourselves,  as  chil- 
dren. You  must  obey  me  for  the  Lord's  sake, 
according  to  the  Lord's  command,  in  submis- 
sion to  the  Lord's  laws.  If  I  told  you  to  do  any 
thing  plainly  contrary  to  the  word  of  God  you 
could  not  obey  me  in  the  Lord,  for  I  should  be 
no  longer  his  representative  to  you,  any  more 
than  the  viceroy,  who  should  arm  and  lead  the 
people  he  was  sent  to  govern  to  battle  against 
their  king  and  bis,  would  be  viceroy  of  that 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  19 

king.  But  while  I  own  the  Lord  Christ  as  my 
Head  and  Master,  you  must  look  on  me  as 
placed  over  you  by  Him,  and  reverence  that 
authority  accordingly." 

Edward  had  been  thinking  much  ;  he  now 
said,  "  It  is  not  only  your  authority.  Papa,  but 
every  person's  who  is  over  us,  that  we  must 
look  on  so,  I  fancy ;  for  St.  Paul  uses  that  argu- 
ment for  obeying  magistrates,  does  he  not  ?  and 
it  seems  to  me  somehow  to  go  down  into  every 
rank  of  life.  I  remember  some  commands  are 
given  to  masters  and  servants  that  seem  to  ex- 
press it  too." 

"  I  am  most  thankful  that  my  dear  boy  sees 
my  meaning,  and  on  what  it  is  founded :  and 
now,  Edward,  think  again,  and  tell  me  how  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  being  head  over  all  things 
bears  upon  the  subject  of  your  conversation  this 
morning." 

Edward  did  not  need  to  be  told  to  think ; 
for  he  began  to  feel  alarmed  at  the  serious  of- 
fence he  had  been  purposing  to  commit ;  and 


2©  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

wishing  to  persuade  himself  that  he  was  not  so 
much  in  the  wrong,  he  pondered  deeply  on  the 
real  meaning  of  those  awful  passages  in  Scrip- 
ture. He  had  an  honest  mind,  and  did  not  wish 
to  shut  his  eyes  against  the  conviction  which 
soon  forced  itself  upon  him ;  so  he  answered 
after  some  time,  "  Indeed,  Papa,  it  seems  as  if 
we  had  been  very  wrong  ;  for  if  the  Lord  gives 
you  authority  over  us,  and  you  give  it  to  another 
person  to  act  for  you,  we  have  no  more  right  to 
resist  him  than  to  resist  you.  The  reason  I  did 
not  consider  this  before  was,  that  I  thought  your 
right  to  rule  over  us  a  natural  right,  just  because 
you  are*our  father;  and  did  not  suppose  that 
you  could  give  the  same,  or  indeed  any  right, 
to  another  person." 

"  And  what  makes  you  look  differently  on  the 
matter  now  V 

"  Why,  I  can  hardly  explain  it,  Papa  ;  but 
from  what  you  have  said  it  seems  to  me  as  if 
there  was  a  sort  of  kingship  in  your  right.  You 
seem  to  be  a  viceroy,  set  over  us  by  the  Great 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  21 

King ;  and  our  tutor  is  one  of  your  officers  of 
state  whom  we  are  bound  to  obey,  because  you 
appoint  him  to  his  office." 

"  But  suppose  I  was  unreasonable  and  tyran- 
nical ;  or  that  the  master  whom  I  set  over  you 
abused  his  authority,  and  was  harsh,  severe, 
unjust?" 

"  If  he  was  so.  Papa,  I  should  tell  you  of  it, 
and  ask  you  to  interfere ;  and  if — if  I  had  a 
Papa  such  as  you  describe,  just  the  contrary  of 
what  you  are  to  us,  why  then  I  must  remember 
that  the  Lord  holds  all  hearts  in  his  hand ;  and 
since  it  was  He  who  gave  that  parent  authority 
over  me,  I  must  hope  he  will  teach  him  to  use 
it  more  gently  and  kindly." 

Mr.  Seymour  looked  at  his  son  with  delight ; 
and  after  a  moment's  silence  said,  "The  feeling 
that  you  have  now  expressed,  my  dear  boy,  is 
exactly  what  the  Bible  inculcates ;  and  on  the 
same  principle  must  obedience  be  rendered  to 
superiors  in  every  relationship  of  life.  Laws 
are  instituted  in    all  civilized   countries,    and 


22  DANGERS    AND   DUTIES- 

ours,  God  be  thanked !  are  founded  on  the 
Bible,  therefore  they  are  just  and  right,  affording 
protection  to  all  classes  of  people.  The  king 
or  queen,  being  supreme  ruler,  the  laws  are  ad- 
ministered in  their  name ;  they  themselves  being 
sworn  to  uphold  them  faithfully  and  impar- 
tially. If  any  one  possessing  inferior  authority 
is  guilty  of  oppression,  the  law  provides  a  re- 
medy; and  so  the  liberty  of  the  subject  is  safe : 
but  he  who  resists  the  exercise  of  lawful  power 
in  any  shape  rebels  against  God.  Do  you  not 
perceive  what  a  strong  consolation  this  view  of 
the  matter  affords,  w'here  tyranny  is  really 
exercised  and  power  abused ;  and  what  a  mo- 
tive for  cheerful  obedience  it  supplies  under  all 
circumstances  ?" 

"  Yes,  Papa,  I  do,"  replied  Edward.  Frank 
said,  "There  would  be  very  little  treason  in 
the  world,  if  every  body  understood  this." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Mr.  Seymour, "  if  men 
always  acted  up  to  the  knowledge  they  possess  ; 
but  unhappily  they  do  not.     We  are  often  wil- 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  23 

ling  to  admit  the  truth  of  a  doctrine,  and  even 
to  praise  its  excellence  until  called  on  to  put  it 
in  practice;  and  then  we  shrink  back,  either 
complaining  of  its  strictness,  or  else  in  some 
way  avoiding  the  part  we  ought  to  perform. 
You  may  remember  w^hat  our  Lord  says  to  his 
disciples,  'If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are 
ye  if  ye  do  them.'  Disobedience  is  so  natural 
to  man,  in  his  fallen  state,  that  the  grace  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  necessary  to  make  him  really 
and  willingly  submissive  to  the  powers  that  be, 
even  when  he  knows  them  to  be  ordained  of 
God." 

Thus  conversing,  they  came  to  the  house  of 
a  neighbouring  gentleman  where  Mr.  Seymour 
w^anted  to  call.  As  they  walked  through  the 
avenue  a  man  met  them,  coming  from  the 
house  :  he  had  a  rather  large  pack  fastened  to 
his  shoulders,  and  in  his  hand  a  yard  measure. 
Mr.  Seymour  looked  very  hard  at  him  as  he 
passed,  but  the  man  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
ground,  and  pretended  not  to  observe  him. 


24  DANGERS   AND  DUTIES. 

When  they  went  into  the  parlour  they 
found  Mrs.  Clay,  the  lady  of  the  house,  examin- 
ing a  heap  of  ribbon,  lace,  and  other  things  that 
lay  on  the  table  before  her,  and  which  her  maid 
was  beginning  to  fold  up.  She  asked  her  visit- 
ors to  sit  down,  dismissed  the  servant,  and  after 
a  few  civil  speeches,  took  up  the  end  of  a  rich 
ribbon,  saying,  "  I  have  made  some  great  bar- 
gains to-day ;  these  articles  are  really  French, 
and  I  have  got  them  as  cheap  as  the  com- 
monest home-manufacture,  though  they  are 
the  best  of  their  kind  ;  particularly  the 
gloves." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,"  remarked  Mr.  Sey- 
mour, "  for  I  conclude  you  purchased  them  of 
the  pedler  I  met  in  the  avenue,  and  whose  cha- 
racter, I  regret  to  say,  is  far  from  being  good." 

"  Why,"  said  the  lady,  alarmed,  "  you  don't 
think  he  has  deceived  me  ?  I  consider  myself 
a  judge  of  foreign  articles,  and  these  have  every 
mark  of  being  French," 

"  I  don't  question  that,  ma'am  ;  but  I  fear 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  25 

they  are  contraband :  that  man  is  a  known  con- 
federate of  smugglers." 

"  Oh,  if  that  is  all,  it  confirms  the  genuine- 
ness of  the  articles  ;  and  of  course  they  would 
not  sell  so  cheap  if  the  full  duty  had  been  paid. 
But  that,  you  know,  is  no  affair  of  mine.  I 
gave  what  the  owner  asked  for  them,  and  so  all 
w^as  fair,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

"  The  royal  owner  was  certainly  not  a  party 
to  the  transaction,"  said  Mr.  Seymour. 

"  Royal  owner!" 

"Yes  ;  they  belong  to  the  Queen." 

"  They  belong  to  me  now  at  any  rate,"  ob- 
served Mrs.  Clay,  who  did  not  seem  very  well 
pleased  at  his  remarks. 

"  Pardon  me,  they  are  forfeit  to  the  Queen, 
by  the  law  of  the  land,  having  been  smuggled 
into  the  kingdom ;  and  if  traced  they  could  at 
this  moment  be  seized  by  her  Majesty's  war- 
rant, transferred  to  her  stores,  and  publicly  sold, 
without  affording  you  any  compensation  what- 
ever. Such  is  the  law." 
3 


26  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  An  unjust  and  tyrannical  law,"  obser\  ed 
the  lady,  "  and  which  I,  for  one,  should  never 
think  of  keeping." 

"  Surely  it  is  not  unjust  to  make  statutes 
to  protect  at  once  the  fair  trader  and  the  native 
manufacturer  ;  nor  tyrannical  to  enforce  them 
when  made." 

"  Well,  I  shall  not  argue  the  point  with 
you.  Here  comes  my  husband,  and  now  I  will 
bid  you  good  morning,  having  several  things 
to  attend  to." 

When  Mr.  Seymour  and  his  sons  left  the 
house,  Edward  said,  "  Papa,  if  the  same  thing 
had  happened  yesterday,  I  don't  think  I  should 
have  seen  much  harm  in  the  smuggling :  but 
when  you  were  talking  with  Mrs.  Clay,  I  con- 
sidered it  by  the  rule  you  laid  down  this  morning, 
and  do  you  know  I  was  quite  shocked  at  it  ?" 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  Edward,  as  it  w^ill  help 
to  convince  you  that  the  rule  of  which  you  speak 
is  a  safe  aad  sure  one  :  but  tell  me  how  it  struck 
you  ?" 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  27 

"  I  will,  Papa.  First,  I  considered  the  Lord 
had  said  to  us, '  I  give  you  this  Queen  to  reign 
over  you :  obey  her,  because  she  is  appointed 
by  me.'  Then  the  Queen  says, '  You  must  not 
bring  any  foreign  goods  into  my  kingdom, 
without  paying  me  a  sum  of  money  for  leave  to 
import  them.'  So  the  person  who  deals  in 
smuggled  goods  encourages  another,  and  per- 
haps a  more  ignorant  person,  to  disobey  the 
Queen's  laws,  which  he  cannot  do  without  dis- 
obeying God  ;  and  that  is  very  sinful." 

"  Well  stated,  Edward,"  said  his  father : 
"  do  you  see  any  other  sin  in  smuggling  ?" 

"  I  do,"  said  Frank.  "  You  have  often  told 
us,  sir,  that  a  lie,  when  it  is  acted,  is  as  much  a 
lie  as  if  it  were  spoken  ;  like  Ananias  bringing 
part  of  the  money  and  laying  it  down  at  the 
apostles'  feet,  to  make  them  suppose  it  was  the 
whole.  He  said  nothing,  yet  his  action  was 
called  lying  unto  God.  Now  if  a  smuggler 
does  not  even  tell  a  single  untruth  with  his  lips, 
he  must  act  a  great  many  to  deceive  the  cus- 


28  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

tom-house  officers,  and  get  his  contraband  pjoods 
safe  to  the  market.  I  see  in  this  one  thing 
three  bad  crimes — lying,  cheating,  and  rebel- 
lion." 

"  Yes,"  remarked  Mr.  Seymour,  "  and  all 
because  men  are  '  covetous.'  A  little  worthless 
gain  is  the  temptation  to  so  much  wickedness  ; 
and  if  you  knew  how  much  more  is  added  to  it 
in  the  characters  of  those  who  pursue  this  un- 
lawful traffic,  how  often  blasphemy  and  cruel- 
ty, treachery  and  murder  stain  their  lives,  you 
•would  shrink  from  giving  the  slightest  encour- 
agement, for  the  sake  of  even  the  greatest  ad- 
vantage to  yourself,  to  the  system.  Depend  on 
it,  a  man  who  knowingly  and  intentionally 
breaks  one  law,  will  be  bound  by  none,  farther 
than  his  own  interest  or  pleasure  is  concerned 
in  keeping  it.  Do  you  not  now  perceive,  my 
dear  boys,  that  in  entering  upon  a  path  of  dis- 
obedience at  home  or  at  school,  you  would 
place  yourselves  in  a  dangerous  track,  likely 
to  lead  you  astray  from  God's  commandments, 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  29 

even  In  things  that  you  now  regard  as  exceed- 
ingly sinful  ?" 

"Yes,  Papa  :  we  see  it,  and  we  thank  you 
for  showing  us  our  danger." 

"  The  discipline  of  which  your  tutor  spoke 
as  distinguishing  the  schools  in  former  time,  was 
a  great  blessing  to  those  who  were  under  it. 
Instead  of  growing  up  old  women,  as  one  of 
you  expressed  it,  they  furnished  a  race  of  as 
brave  and  independent  men  as  the  world  has 
seen.  Nobody  governs  so  well  as  he  who  has 
learned  to  obey :  no  one  less  likely  to  abuse 
power  when  it  falls  into  his  own  hands  than  he 
who  has  respected  it  in  the  hands  of  others. 
It  is  a  lesson  that  the  King  of  Glory  himself 
did  not  disdain,  as  man,  to  learn  ;  and  what  a 
lovely  example  has  he  left  us  of  submission  and 
obedience  to  constituted  authorities  !  No  man 
had  a  ri^ht  to  demand  from  him  the  tribute 
money  that  was  levied  for  the  support  and  ser- 
vice of  the  Temple  ;  for  he  was  greater  than 
the  Temple,  Lord  of  it,  and  the  service  there 
3* 


30  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

.done  was  offered  to  Him,  God  over  all,  blessed 
for  ever  :  yet  after  shortly  explaining  to  Peter 
that  he  was  free  from  the  obligation  to  pay  it, 
he  commissioned  Peter  to  draw  a  miraculous 
supply  from  the  depths  of  the  sea,  in  order  to 
occasion  no  offence,  no  stumbling  on  the  part 
of  others,  by  omitting  to  pay  that  very  tax. 
Oh,  believe  me,  my  children,  that  is  a  weighty 
truth  which  says, '  Before  honour  cometh  hu- 
mility j'  and  no  less  solemn  is  the  warning 
added, '  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall.'  It  is 
one  of  the  darkest  signs  of  these  evil '  perilous 
times '  that  the  bands  of  ancient  discipline  are 
so  loosened,  and  those  in  authority  so  willing 
to  slacken,  if  not  to  throw  down,  the  rein  of 
judicious  restraint.  I  should  grieve  indeed  to 
see  the  master  I  have  set  over  you  yielding  to  a 
spirit  the  first  aspirings  of  which  I  am  striving 
to  check,  because  I  know  it  is  not  a  spirit  of 
wisdom,  or  according  to  godliness." 

The  boys  whispered  to  one   another,  and 
then  Edward  said,  "  Papa,  we  are  both  sin- 


'^ 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.^  '  31 

cerely  sorry  to  have  given  way  to  our  proud, 
rebellious  thoughts  ;  and  very  thankful  indeed 
that  you  overheard  and  set  us  right.  Indeed, 
Papa,  it  is  no  proof  of  our  obedience  to  the 
Lord  if  we  respect  and  obey  you,  for  we  can- 
not help  it,  you  are  so  good  and  kind :  but  we 
wish  to  acknowledge  our  fault  to  Mr.  Wright, 
to  whom  we  have  already  been  rude  and  re- 
fractory ;  and  to  request  he  will  always  watch 
us,  to  stop  in  time  any  such  bad  behaviour." 

"  But  you  must  also  watch  yourselves,  my 
dear  lads  ;  and  constantly  pray  to  the  Lord  for 
that  assisting  grace  without  which  no  care  of 
ours  can  preserve  you  from  the  snares  of  the 
devil." 

"  We  will  do  so,  Papa,  and  as  we  are  going 
to  Mr.  Taylor's  to-morrow,  to  meet  some  of 
Phil's  friends,  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  of 
arguing  the  matter  out  with  them  ;  for  I  fancy 
they  are  all  of  his  way  of  thinking." 

"  Well,  be  careful  in  what  spirit  you  enter 
on  the  work;  and  remember  that  pride  may 


32  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 


break  out  in  an  argument  with  your  equals  no 
less  mischievously  than  in  resisting  a  teacher. 
The  command  is  general,  '  Submit  yourselves 
one  to  another  in  the  fear  of  God.'" 

The  boys  promised  great  caution  and  pru- 
dence ;  and  prepared  to  set  forth  on  the  morrow 
as  champions  of  good  discipline  and  proper  sub- 
ordination. How  they  succeeded  the  sequel 
must  show. 


"* 


PART    II. 

Brimful  of  their  new  subject,  our  two  young 
friends  joined  the  party  at  Mr.  Taylor's,  deter- 
mined to  lose  no  time  in  opening  a  discussion 
upon  it ;  and  confident  that,  having  truth  on 
their  side,  they  should  silence  all  opponents. 
They  found  half  a  dozen  young  gentlemen  as- 
sembled, all  intent  on  making  the  afternoon  as 
pleasant  to  themselves  as  possible,  and  delib- 
erating with  great  earnestness  on  the  various 
plans  suggested  for  accomplishing  that  object. 
Cricket,  football,  hockey,  and  sundry  other 
sports  were  proposed  and  in  turn  rejected,  as 
being  daily  within  their  reach ;  thfey  longed  for 
some  novelty,  and  at  last  decided  that  a  stroll 
in  quest  of  amusement  would  be  better  than  such 
a  standing  committee  of  ways  and  means  for 
providing  it.     So,  having  invited  the  two  dogs,  ^ 


34  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Mr.  Taylor's  Newfo-indlander  and  Phil's  terrier, 
to  accompany  them,  away  they  all  scampered 
in  the  direction  of  a  river,  about  a  mile  from 
the  house. 

"  We  shall  have  good  fun  with  Caesar,"  re- 
marked PhiJ.  "  You  never  saw  such  a  dog  for 
the  water :  he'll  dive,  I  don't  know  how  deep, 
after  a  mere  pebble,  and  fetch  it  up  without  mis- 
take from  the  bottom." 

Cagsar,  who  was  jogging  beside  his  young 
master,  wagged  or  rather  waved  his  long  bushy 
tail,  in  grave  acknowledgment  of  the  approv- 
ing tone  in  which  he  heard  himself  mentioned ; 
and  the  boys  noticed  it  and  praised  his  sagacity. 

"  I  should  like  him  better  though,"  said  one, 
"  if  he  had  more  spirit :  he  is  too  quiet,  and 
minds  every  word  you  say.  Our  great  dog  has 
a  will  of  his  *o\vn :  even  Papa  can't  manage 
him  without  blows,  and  'tis  such  fun  to  see  how 
he  will  set  every  body  at  defiance.  Crosar  is  a 
sneak  to  him,  and  would  run  away  from  him 
f  like  a  hare." 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  35 

"  You  are  vastly  out  in  your  reckoning,  I 
can  tell  you,"  said  Phil  somewhat  angrily. 
"  Caesar  is  no  sneak,  but  a  noble,  brave  dog, 
strong  enough  to  do  as  he  likes^  but  sensible 
enough  to  do  as  he  is  bid.  Ah,  my  fine  fellow," 
he  added,  patting  his  head,  "  you'd  soon  show 
any  bullying  brute  of  an  ill-bred  cur  what  stuff 
you  are  made  of,  and  send  him  away  howling." 

Caesar  lifted  his  bright  eyes  to  the  lad's  face, 
and  wagged  his  tail  more  energetically. 

"  I  am  sure  I  believe  you,  Phil,"  said 
Edward  Seymour,  colouring  a  little  as  he  spoke. 
"  Obedience  is  the  best  proof  of  a  proper  spirit, 
and  the  want  of  it  shows  that  something  is 
wrong." 

"  To  be  sure,"  replied  Phil.  "  Why,  if  a 
dog  of  mine  pretended  to  have  a  will  of  his  own, 
I'd  break  every  bone  in  his  skin,  but  I'd  teach 
him  who  was  master." 

The  boy  who  had  provoked  these  remarks 
laughed ;  "  I  should  like  to  see  you  set  about 
breaking  Rover's  bones." 


36  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  The  great  beast !  he's  not  worth  any 
teaching,  by  your  account  of  him:  if  you  had 
any  sense  you'd  have  broke  him  in  from  a 
puppy :  but  as  I  said,  I  dare  say  he's  not  worth 
the  trouble." 

"  That  was  a  sensible  speech,"  whispered 
Frank  to  Edward ;  "  just  like  what  Papa  said 
about  beginning  while  young.  Can't  you  put 
in  a  word  ?"  But  Edward  could  not :  nothing 
is  easier  than  to  resolve  on  introducing  profit- 
able discourse  among  those  who  have  no  relish 
for  it ;  few  things  harder  to  accomplish,  without 
help  from  above ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  our 
young  friends  had  neglected  to  pray  for  it ;  they 
trusted  to  their  own  knowledge  and  strength, 
and  so  came  unarmed  to  the  combat. 

The  river  was  soon  reached,  and  Caesar 
excited  general  admiration  by  his  docility,  clev- 
erness, and  great  strength :  his  young  master, 
nettled  by  the  slight  put  upon  him,  took  pains 
to  show  him  off  to  advantage,  and  every  one 
was  obliged  to  admit  he  was  any  thing  but  a 
sneak. 


DANGERS   AND    DUTIES.  37 

Suddenly  Taylor  exclaimed,  "  Why  what  a 
fool  I  was  to  forget — there's  a  boat-house  not  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  higher  up ;  and  we  can  get 
the  loan  of  a  boat  and  have  a  capital  row." 

"Hurrah!"  said  the  boys;  and  ran  off  at 
full  speed  in  the  direction  proposed. 

One  among  them,  however,  began  to  look 
blank:  he  seemed  uneasy,  and  at  last,  when 
they  came  to  a  pause  in  the  race,  looking  for  an 
opening  in  the  fence  through  which  they  must 
pass,  he  said,  "  It's  very  unlucky,  and  very  pro- 
voking, but  I  can't  go  boating  with  you." 

"  No !  what's  to  hinder  you,  Tom  ;  are  you 
afraid  ?" 

"  Not  I ;  but  other  people  are,  and  I  can't 
help  their  fears." 

"  Stuff !  are  other  people's  fancies  to  make 
you  a  coward  1  come  along." 

"  I'll  walk  by  the  river  side.     You  see. 
Mamma  had  a  very  dear  uncle  of  hers  drowned 
while  boating  :  and  my  eldest  brother  was  lost* 
at  sea,  just  after  he  entered  as  a  midshipman.  So 


3^ 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES. 


she  is  fearful,  and  won't  let  me  go  on  the  water 
unless  with  experienced  people." 

"  Well,  now,"  said  Taylor,  "  if  ever  I  heard 
such  nonsense !  "Why  the  chances  are  all 
against  three  of  one  family  coming  to  the  same 
end,  and  you  are  the  least  likely  to  be  drowned 
of  any  here.  Come,  I  would  not  let  all  the 
Mammas  in  the  world  make  such  an  ass  of  me." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Tom ;  "  but  I  won't  dis- 
obey mine." 

"  'Tis  only  for  once,  and  she  won't  knotv  it 
either  ;  so  come  along." 

"  She  must  know  it,  if  any  thing  happens  to 
me. 

"  Don't  you  see,  boys,"  shouted  Rover's 
master,  whose  name  was  Clarke,  "  it's  all  his 
own  cowardice !  he  is  thinking  of  nothing  but 
being  drowned,  and  dare  not  go;  and  then 
throws  all  the  blame  on  his  poor  mother." 

"  If  you  think  me  a  coward,"  said  Tom, 

, "  you've  only  to  strip  and  try.     I  am  not  coward 

enough  to  deceive  my  mother,  nor  brute  enough 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  39 

to  make  her  unhappy :  and  I  won't  break  my 
promise  to  her  either." 

Several  of  the  boys  applauded  this  declara- 
tion, and  Taylor  said,  "  If  you  gave  a  prom- 
ise, that  alters  the  case,  it  would  be  dishonour- 
able to  break  it.     We'll  give  up  the  boat." 

"Pray  don't:  I  am  quite  satisfied  to  stay 
ashore  till  you  return." 

"  Oh,  no  ;  I  know  better  manners  than  to 
treat  my  guest  in  that  way  ;  we  will  go  back 
round  by  the  hill,  and  if  nothing  better  turns 
up,  have  a  game  at  home." 

The  rest  agreed,  but  all  felt  disappointed, 
and  one  remarked,  "  Mind,  Tom,  if  it  hadn't 
been  a  promise  given,  I  would  not  have  hu- 
moured you  so  :  I  have  no  notion  of  our  moth- 
ers keeping  us  in  leading-strings  when  we  are 
old  enough  to  judge  for  ourselves." 

"  'Tis  a  bad  plan,"  observed  Taylor.  "  If 
we  wait  till  they  give  us  any  liberty,  we  must 
be  babies  till  twenty-one,  when  the  law  sets  us 
free." 


40  DANGERS    AND   DUTIES. 

"  But,"  said  Edward  Seymour,  "  we  are 
commanded  to  obey  them  that  have  the  rule  over 
us,  and  submit  to  the  authority  of  our  parents 
and  governors." 

"  Hear  him  !  hear  him !"  shouted  the  boys : 
"  the  reverend  Mr.  Seymour  is  going  to  preach." 

"  Here's  the  stump  of  a  tree — a  capital  pul- 
pit," exclaimed  Clarke.  "  Up  with  you,  and 
give  out  a  text." 

"  It  would  do  you  no  harm  to  hear  a  good 
sermon  on  your  duties,"  said  Edward,  sharply  ; 
"for  you  seem  to  know  special  little  about 
them." 

"  Hear !  hear !"  repeated  the  boys  :  and 
Taylor  said,  "  I  set  my  face  against  your  doc- 
trine altogether.  We  give  a  great  deal  too 
much  trouble  to  elderly  people,  letting  them 
manage  for  us.  At  our  8ge  we  can  take  very 
good  care  of  ourselves ;  and  we  ought  to  get 
our  own  way,  and  to  keep  it." 

"  Like  the  dog  Rover,"  observed  Tom. 

"  Pho  !  dogs  are  different  things.  I'm  speak- 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  41 

ing  of  rational  beings  like  us.  As  to  the  old 
fangled  notions  about  authority,  and  all  that, 
it's  mere  nonsense.  Don't  you  see  that  reason 
shows  us  when  we  are  old  enough  to  look  after 
ourselves  ?  and  though  I  am  for  behaving  re- 
spectfully and  dutifully  to  our  parents,  I  expect 
they  will  let  me  judge  for  myself  in  things 
where  I  am  as  well  able  to  do  it  as  they." 

"  You  may  call  it  preaching  if  you  like," 
said  Edward ;  "  and  it's  easy  to  stop  any  body's 
mouth  with  noise  and  clamour  ;  but  I  could 
soon  prove  you  in  the  wrong." 

"  Let's  hear,"  cried  several  of  the  boys ; 
and  one  said,  "  Divide  into  two  parties ;  and 
the  one  that  tries  to  stop  the  other  shall  be  de- 
clared beaten." 

This  was  agreed  to  :  but  on  separating,  no- 
body sided  with  Seymour  except  his  brother 
and  Tom. 

"  Now,"  began  Edward,  "  does  any  body 
deny  that  the  Bible  is  what  we  ought  to  be 
ruled  and  guided  by  ?" 
4* 


4X  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  If  we  understand  it,"  said  Taylor,  "  not 
else  :  and  every  body  has  not  time  to  read  it." 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  ;  every  body  has 
not  time  to  read  acts  of  Parliament,  but-  you 
w:  n't  say  they  are  therefore  at  liberty  to  break 
the  law  of  the  land  ?" 

"  We  all  know  what  the  laws  are." 

"  And  we  all  know  as  much  of  God's  law 
as  we  need  do  to  understand  this  case.  Come, 
boys,  every  one  of  you  was  at  church  last  Sun- 
day— I  saw  you  all  there,  and  the  second  les- 
son was  about  this  very  thing." 

•  The  boys  declared  they  did  not  recollect 
it ;  and  the  Seymours  were  conscious  that  they 
had  forgotten  it  too,  when  it  would  have  check- 
ed them  the  day  before.  So  Edward  content- 
ed himself  with  saying  that  nobody  could  deny 
the  Bible  commanded  obedience  to  parents, 
and  submission  to  all  in  authority  ;  and  that  if 
it  had  not  been  right,  God  would  not  have  or- 
dered it  so. 

Phil  Taylor,  on  the  other  hand,  insisted  that 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  43 

the  rule  only  held  good  in  those  times  when 
young  people  were  kept  back  in  society  till 
they  were  men  and  women ;  and  when  the 
lower  orders  had  no  education,  and  could  not 
think  for  themselves.  By  degrees  the  whole 
party  became  interested  in  the  discussion,  and  all 
but  Tom  sided  with  Taylor.  Even  Frank  Sey- 
mour began  to  waver,  and  doubted  whether  he 
had  not  suffered  his  father  to  convince  him  too 
easily ;  while  Edward,  not  being  very  clear, 
and  secretly  wishing  to  keep  religion  as  much 
in  the  back-ground  as  he  could,  to  avoid  the 
charge  of  being  a  Methodist,  was  losing  ground. 
In  the  midst  of  their  Jiscussion,  they  came  to  a 
narrow  stile,  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass, 
and  there,  with  one  leg  thrown  over  it,  his  arms 
folded,  and  his  cap  stuck  on  one  side  of  his 
head,  sat  a  boy  of  about  Phil's  age,  vulgar, 
dirty,  and  rude,  who  took  no  other  notice  of 
their  approach  than  by  a  broad  stare  and  con- 
tinued whistling. 


44  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

"  Get  out  of  the  way,  will  you  V  said  Tay- 
lor, "  and  let  us  pass." 

The  boy  did  not  stir. 

"  Move  off,  I  say,"  cried  Taylor. 

"  S'pose  I  do'nt  choose  to  move,  my  fine 
spark  ?"  said  the  other  with  a  grin,  settling 
himself  more  steadily  in  the  middle  of  the  little 
stile. 

The  young  gentleman  got  angry,  at  which 
the  boy  laughed,  and  told  him  he  was  bringing 
his  quality  airs  to  the  wrong  market  :  that  he 
had  as  good  a  pair  of  fists  as  the  best  of  them, 
and  would  lick  them  all  round.  When  asked 
if  he  thought  they  would  disgrace  themselves 
by  fighting  such  a  low  fellow  as  himself,  he 
answered,  "  Low  feller  !  I  be  as  tall  as  the 
biggest  of  ye,  and  a  deal  stronger." 

"  But  you  are  a  low-bred,  vulgar,  ignorant 
creature,  and  we  are  gentlemen." 

The  boy,  whose  cool  impudence  was  more 
provoking  than  the  most  noisy  anger  would 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  45 

have  been,  placed  his  hands  on  the  bar  where 
he  sat,  lifted  himself  for  a  moment  like  a  horse- 
man on  his  stirrups,  and  leering  round  with  an 
unconcerned  look,  stoutly  replied,"  As  to  breed- 
ing, I'm  bred  of  good  flesh  and  blood,  and  no 
mistake  :  being  vulgaris  neither  here  nor  there, 
so  long  as  my  fists  aint  crippled ;  and  I've 
laming  enough  to  know  that  your  gentility 
can't  push  me  off  this  here  gate." 

The  young  gentlemen  were  exceedingly  ir- 
ritated ;  but  as  he  sat  in  a  rather  commanding 
position,  able  and  willing  to  break  the  first 
head  that  came  within  reach,  no  one  seemed 
anxious  to  commence  an  attack.  Edward  said, 
"  You  ought  to  remember  your  station,  and  treat 
your  betters  with  more  respect." 

"  My  betters !  pray  where  is  they  ?  I'm 
your  betters,  for  I  keep  you  all  at  a  respectful 
distance,  you  see." 

Several  of  the  lads  here  made  a  rush  at  him ; 
but  by  suddenly  throwing  out  his  foot  he  dealt 


46 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 


a  kick  that  reached  Clarke,  and  sent  him  reel- 
ing to  some  distance.  The  others  pressed  on, 
but  in  an  instant  the  boy  was  safe  on  the 
further  side,  with  a  large  stone  in  each  hand, 
armed  to  fling  at  them. 

"  We'll  pelt  you  to  death,  you  rascal !"  ex- 
claimed Taylor,  in  a  violent  rage. 

"  Do,  do :  but  the  first  wot  stoops  to  pick  up 
a  stone  shall  have  this  pitched  into  him." 

The  missiles  were  so  large,  and  the  arms 
that  held  them  up  so  strong,  that  the  boys  did 
not  wish  to  try  their  weight ;  so  they  stood  still, 
railing  at  the  enemy,  who  returned  their  abuse 
with  interest. 

"  I'll  tell  ye  what,  you  mollying  pups,  we  aint 
going  to  let  you  carry  it  over  us  this  way  much 
longer.  We'll  get  our  rights,  depend  on't. 
Lawk,  what  a  show !"  he  continued,  in  a  tone 
of  derision,  "  one,  two,  six — seven  bits  of  tailor- 
ing, brass  buttons  and  all,  big  and  fine,  squeak- 
ing in  their  skins  for  fear  of  a  tough  country 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES. 


# 


chap,  with  two  pebbles  in  his  hands !  A  fine 
defence  you'll  make  when  we  come  about  your 
gingerbread  works  in  arnest." 

A  group  of  men  were  now  seen  approach- 
ing from  the  other  side,  and  Taylor  declared  he 
would  have  him  taken  up,  and  lodged  in  the 
cage  by  them. 

"  0,  by  the  navigators,  is  it  7  Them's  just 
the  chaps  to  do  it,  aint  they  7" 

The  men  were  labourers  on  a  neighbouring 
railway,  returning  from  their  day's  work ;  and 
as  they  came  near,  Taylor  called  out  to  them 
that  he  was  the  son  of  a  magistrate,  and  desir-  ■ 
ed  them  to  seize  that  young  villain,  who  had 
been  insulting  and  threatening  them,  and  to 
bring  him  before  his  father. 

The  men  exchanged  looks  with  the  boy, 
who  winked  to  them,  allowing  them  to  passj 
and  then  they  crossed  the  stile  in  silence,  look- 
ing with  evident  satisfaction  on  the  party  of 
discomfited  young  gentlemen. 

After  jeering  a  little  at  them,  the  mischiev- 


48  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Ous  boy  said,  "  Come,  now,  ax  me  on  your 
bended  knees,  and  may-be  I'll  let  you  get  over." 

But  rather  than  do  this,  the  party  turned, 
and  retraced  their  steps  towards  the  river,  follow- 
ed by  the  shouts  of  their  tormentor,  and  half 
afraid  that  he  would  send  a  stone  after  them 
too.  "  I  almost  wish,"  said  Taylor,  "  that  I 
had  set  Caesar  upon  him :  indeed  the  dog  was 
ready  to  spring." 

"  Rover  would  not  have  waited  for  leave," 
said  Clarke,  reproachfully. 

"  You  see,"  returned  Taylor,  "  he  would 
have  been  killed  by  the  navigators  with  their 
pickaxes.  Depend  on  it,  that  young  ruffian 
belongs  to  them;  he  is  a  stranger  here." 

While  hastening  back,  to  make  up  for  lost 
time,  the  boys  overtook  Mr.  Seymour,  to  whom 
they  eagerly  related  all  that  had  passed,  inquir- 
ing whether  they  could  not  punish  the  boy. 

"  It  is  doubtful,"  he  replied,  "  as  the  path 
that  he  obstructed  was  not  the  highway,  and 
by  your  own  account  you  made  the  first  assault. 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  49 

It  will  be  better  to  pass  it  over,  and  to  be  thank- 
ful that  no  greater  harm  was  done." 

"  But,  sir,  we  were  so  shamefully  insult- 
ed, mocked,  and  threatened,  and  by  such  a  dirty 
fellow  too,  that  it  was  ten  times  harder  to 
bear,"  said  Taylor. 

"  It  was  very  mortifying,  no  doubt ;  but  you 
must  take  the  lesson,  and  try  to  profit  by  it." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  lesson  it  could 
teach  us,  except  to  keep  a  tighter  hand  over 
the  lower  classes." 

"  If  we  can,"  observed  Mr.  Seymour  grave- 

"  They  have  been  too  much  indulged,  sir  : 
I  often  heard  Papa  say  so,  and  now  I  see  the 
consequences." 

"  My  Papa,"  said  Clarke,  "  is  of  a  different 
opinion :  he  thinks  the  people  have  been  op- 
pressed till  they  can  bear  it  no  longer,  and  that 
they  are  roused  at  last  to  assert  their  rights." 

"  And  my  Mamma  has  another  way  of  ac- 

5 


50  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

counting  for  it,"  remarked  Tom.  "  She  lays 
the  blame  on  two  sorts  of  people;  some  who 
have  given  them  learning  without  religion,  and 
others  who  have  taken  advantage  of  their  not 
knowing  what  is  right,  to  lead  them  into  every 
thing  that  is  wrong." 

"  I  agree  with  her,"  replied  Mr.  Seymour, 
"  and  I  am  anxious  to  impress  on  you,  my  dear 
young  friends,  the  importance  of  what  you  have 
this  evening  witnessed.  We  are  all  sometimes 
tempted  in  our  respective  stations  to  murmur  at 
restraints  which  God  has  seen  good  to  lay  upon 
us,  and  to  desire  greater  license  than  he  knows 
is  proper  for  us.  Submission  to  the  will  of  God 
we  are  all  ready  to  profess,  and  in  some  parti- 
culars may  think  we  are  practising  it,  even 
while  striving  against  the  lawful  authority  that 
he  has  placed  us  under."  The  boys  looked 
rather  conscience-stricken,  and  Edward  eagerly 
said,  "  We  have  had  an  argument  on  that  very 
subject,  Papa." 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  51 

"  Arguing  a  point,"  answered  his  father, 
"  frequently  leaves  the  parties  each  more  con- 
firmed in  his  own  opinion  than  before." 

"  I  believe  that  was  the  case  with  us,  sir," 
said  Tom :  "  but  we  certainly  did  noL  expect 
such  a  finish  to  it." 

"  What  you  call  a  finish,"  remarked  Taylor, 
"  had  nothing  to  do  with  our  debate.  We  were 
talking  about  independence  j  and  not  the  dis- 
tinction of  rank." 

"Independence,"  said  Mr.  Seymour,  "is 
man's  natural  desire,  and  in  savage  life  the 
strongest  always  triumph,  and  oppress  the  weak. 
To  remedy  this,  to  check  the  evil  propensity  of 
our  nature,  and  insure  good  order,  God  has  been 
pleased  to  ordain  different  ranks  in  society,  not 
depending  upon  our  personal  claims,  but  estab- 
lished so  that  one  is  born  to  occupy  a  higher, 
and  another  cl^lower  position,  though  the  former 
should  be  the  most  feeble,  and  the  latter  the  most 
powerful  man  in  the  land.  He  has  told  the 
strong  not  to  oppress  the  weak,  the  rich  not  to 


52  DANGERS   AND  DUTIES. 

despise  the  poor ;  and  so  long  as  this  order  is 
kept,  and  these  commands  obeyed,  both  classes 
may  be  respectable,  respected,  and  happy.  But 
"we  are  so  perverse  by  nature  that  we  are 
always  straying  from  the  right  way  ;  those  who 
are  high  like  not  to  *  condescend  to  men  of  low 
estate,'  but  frequently  seek  to  increase  their  ad- 
vantages at  their  poorer  brethren's  expense, 
while  they,  in  turn,  murmur  at  their  low  station, 
and  try  by  wrong  means  to  rise  above  it.  Now 
what  is  the  best  way  of  correcting  both,  and 
keeping  each  within  their  proper  bounds  ?" 

He  waited  for  an  answer  to  the  question, 
but  none  being  given,  he  proceeded  :  "  The  only 
sure  way  is  to  have  a  rule  to  which  both  may 
appeal,  and  a  judge  to  try  the  cause  of  both. 
This  rule  we  have  in  the  Bible,  and  this  judge 
is  the  Lord.  The  more  powerful,  when  tempted 
to  do  a  wrong  to  his  poorer  neighbour,  is  re- 
minded of  the  command,  *  That  no  man  go  be- 
yond or  defraud  his  brother  in  any  matter,  for 
God  is  the  avenger  of  all  such.'     The  humbler 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  53 

class  in  like  manner  find  themselves  admonished 
to  yield  honour  where  honour  is  due,  to  be  pa- 
tient and  contented  in  their  stations  j  and  are 
also  encouraged  by  being  told  that  God  hath 
chosen  the  poor  of  this  world,  rich  in  faith,  to 
be  heirs  of  his  kingdom.  At  the  same  time, 
both  parties  are  reminded  they  must  appear  be- 
fore the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  to  give  ac- 
count of  things  done  in  the  body.  By  such 
means,  means  of  God's  appointing,  and  of  him 
blessed,  the  framework  of  society  is  settled, 
and  kept  in  fair  order;  while  high  and  low, 
rich  and  poor,  one  with  another,  enjoy  the  be- 
nefit." 

The  lads  were  very  attentive,  so  Mr.  Sey- 
mour went  on : 

"  There  is  a  spirit  abroad  now,  which  some 
falsely  call  the  spirit  of  freedom  and  indepen- 
dence, which  would  stir  men  up  to  throw  oflf 
these  merciful  restraints,  to  cast  God's  word  be- 
hind them,  and  either  to  forget  or  to  disbelieve 
that  he  is  to  be  their  Judge.  As  they  do  not 
5* 


54  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

own  His  authority,  of  course  they  care  little  for 
any  that  he  has  appointed,  and  they  begin  to 
reckon  upon  their  numbers  and  bodily  strength, 
both  of  which  are  great,  and  to  threaten  their 
superiors,  as  that  boy  seems  to  have  threatened 
you.  The  root  of  all  the  mischief  is  in  this — 
they  'despise  government,'  because  they  do 
not  see  that  God  has  ordained  it,  or  will  not  re- 
spect his  ordinance,  and  the  prospect  is  a  very 
serious  one,  if  this  spirit  should  spread  as  it 
seems  likely  to  do.  We  shall  see  servants  dis- 
obeying their  masters,  soldiers  their  officers,  cit- 
izens their  magistrates,  subjects  their  monarch, 
and  children  their  parents.  It  is  all  from  the 
same  source :  it  is  'the  spirit  that  now  worketh 
in  the  children  of  disobedience,'  and  every  per- 
son whom  he  deceives  and  leads  into  rebellious 
practices,  whether  against  public  or  private  au- 
thority, is  an  advantage  gained,  an  encourage- 
ment to  persevere  in  his  pernicious  devices." 

The  boys  looked  at  one  another :  a  sudden 
thought  seemed  to  have  struck  several  of  them; 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  55 

and  after  a  moment  Taylor  said,  "  I  now  see, 
sir,  that  Tom  was  right  not  to  go  in  the  boat." 
Mr.  Seymour  did  not  know  what  he  meant ; 
but  when  it  was  explained  he  looked  greatly 
pleased. 

"  I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  hear  you  make 
that  admission,  Philip,  for  it  will  lead  you  to 
see  many  things  in  a  new  and  serious  light  of 
which  now,  perhaps,  you  think  very  little ;  and 
it  may,  under  the  Divine  blessing,  lead  you  to 
pray,  and  to  strive  against  this  pernicious  '  spi- 
rit of  the  age,'  which  is  wholly  opposed  to  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Do  you  not  remember  that  pas- 
sage in  Isaiah  which  describes  such  a  state  of 
things — '  The  child  shall  behave  himself  proudly 
against  the  ancient,  and  the  base  against  the 
honourable.'  " 

Mr.  Seymour  then  spoke  to  them  as  he  had 
before  done  to  his  sons,  upon  the  danger  of 
despising  the  Lord's  authority  in  disobeying  our 
lawful  rulers  and  guides,  showing  that  all  do- 
minion is  derived  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to 


56  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

be  respected  according  to  the  respect  that  we 
owe  to  Him. 

When  he  had  finished,  Taylor  said, "  I  thank 
you,  sir,  for  this :  I  had  no  idea  how  wrong  I 
was,  and  a  great  many  with  me.  I  hope,  when 
I  go  back  to  school,  to  set  a  better  example, 
and  to  be  able  to  give  a  reason  for  it  too.  And 
I  will  read  the  Bible  carefully  ;  for  I  see  it  con- 
cerns me  in  more  ways  than  I  thought." 

"  Ah,"  said  Tom,  "  if  I  was  able  to  make  a 
little  stand  against  a  temptation  to-day,  I  owe 
it  to  God's  blessing  on  the  Bible.  Mamma 
always  telk  me  it  is  a  message  to  me — a  letter 
from  my  Heavenly  Father,  she  says ;  and  so  I 
study  it  just  as  if  it  was  written  on  purpose  for 
my  use." 

"  You  are  right,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Mr. 
Seymour.  "  Happy  is  he  who  looks  up  for 
daily,  hourly  guidance  from  above,  and  who  is 
able  to  say  with  David, '  Thy  word  have  I  hid 
in  mine  heart,  that  I  should  not  sin  against 
thee.' " 


PART    III.  ^ 

Two  days  after  the  visit  to  Mr.  Taylor's, 
■while  Edward  and  Frank  were  busily  employed 
in  their  small  gardens,  Tom  came  to  them  with 
an  anxious  face.  "  Do  you  know,"  said  he, 
"  that  Clarke  has  a  Msry  foolish  plan  in  his  head, 
which  will  lead  to  no  good  ?  He  is  going  to 
take  a  few  thoughtless  fellows  like  himself,  and 
that  mischievous  dog  of  his,  and  to  look  out  for 
the  boy  who  kicked  him.  I  don't  think  it  safe, 
even  supposing  it  was  not  otherwise  wrong ;  for 
you  may  depend  on  it  the  boy  has  others  to 
back  him ;  and  those  railway  workmen  are  a 
desperate  set,  sometimes." 

The  Seymours  leaned  on  their  spades,  and 
asked,  «  What's  to  be  done  ?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Tom.     "  You  may 


58 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES. 


be  sure  he  did  not  come  to  me  on  the  business ; 
and  the  person  I  had  it  from  is  a  poor  depen- 
dent on  Clarke's  family,  who  would  lose  his 
living  if  it  was  known  that  he  informed.  I 
thought  it  better  to  see  your  father,  who  is  so 
clever,  and  prudent,  and  good ;  and  to  ask  his 
advice." 

The  boys  looked  delighted  at  hearing  their 
dear  father  so  spoken  of,  and  Edward  said, "  Pa- 
pa deserves  all  you  can  say  in  his  praise,  and 
more :  and  it  is  so  provoking  that  he  is  out  now, 
and  won't  be  home  till  very  late  to-night,  per- 
haps not  till  to-morrow  morning.  Will  that  be 
time  enough  ?" 

"  No,  I  am  afraid  it  is  this  very  afternoon." 

After  consulting  for  some  time,  they  agreed 
to  go  to  Taylor,  and  try  if  he  knew  any  thing 
of  the  business :  it  was  quite  early,  and  they 
hoped  to  find  his  father  also  at  home,  who 
might,  as  a  magistrate,  interpose  to  prevent 
mischief. 

Phil  was  on  the  lawn,  playing  with  Caesar, 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  59 

and  when  they  mentioned  to  him  the  object  of 
their  visit,  he  looked  displeased,  saying,  "  Why, 
if  Clarke  chooses  to  punish  that  ruffian  for  his 
bad  conduct,  I  don't  see  what  business  you  have 
to  prevent  him." 

"  No  more  we  would,  to  screen  the  fellow 
from  punishment,"  replied  Edward ;  "  but  we 
are  afraid  he  will  get  into  danger  himself." 

"  Oh,  you  need  not  fear ;  he  has  his  won- 
derful dog  to  take  care  of  him." 

Taylor  and  Clarke  were  not  very  good 
friends,  though  their  families  were  so  intimate 
that  they  were  often  together ;  and  now  it  was 
plain  Phil  cared  very  little  about  what  might 
happen.  However,  they  tried  to  persuade  him 
to  interfere,  and  at  last  he  said :  "  The  truth  is, 
they  wanted  me  to  join  them,  and  I  don't  know 
but  I  might,  only  I  saw  they  would  break  some 
laws,  and  it  does  not  become  a  magistrate's  son 
to  do  that,  you  know.  However,  I  promised 
not  to  tell  about  it ;  and  if  my  father  heard  any 
thing  they  must  think  it  was  I  who  blabbed." 


60  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

They  could  not  change  his  determination, 
but  he  promised  to  ride  out  in  that  direction, 
with  a  groom,  so  as  to  be  in  the  way ;  and  the 
others,  after  they  left  him,  agreed  to  tell  Mr. 
Wright,  the  tutor ;  and  ask  him  also  to  go  the 
same  road.  He  readily  agreed,  and  at  the  time 
appointed  he,  with  Edward,  Frank,  and  Tom, 
set  out,  not  a  little  anxious  for  the  result." 

"  If  Clarke  would  read  the  Bible,"  observed 
Edward,  "  he  would  not  be  so  revengeful." 

"  I  am  not  sure  of  that,"  said  the  Tutor : 
"  many  read  the  Bible  and  go  quite  contrary  to 
it  every  day,  because  they  are  content  with 
knowing  those  things,  and  don't  pray  for  grace 
to  do  them." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,  Clarke  is  a  very  unduti- 
ful  son,"  said  Tom. 

"  And  yet,"  observed  Frank,  "  his  parents 
never  contradict  him — they  give  him  his  own 
way  in  every  thing,  with  plenty  of  money  to  spend 
as  he  likes :  he  is  the  most  indulged  boy  I  know. 
I  wonder  how  he  can  possibly  be  undutiful !" 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIE?.  61 

"  Nay,  Frank,"  said  Mr.  Wright,  "  accord- 
ing to  your  account,  I  should  wonder  very 
much  if  he  was  otherwise.  God  commands  us 
to  '  train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go ;' 
and  as  every  one  by  nature  chooses  the  way  he 
should  not  go,  poor  Clarke  being  allowed  to 
please  himself  in  every  thing,  must  be  always 
going  wrong.  If  young  people  considered  this, 
how  thankful  would  they  be  for  those  restraints 
which  they  now  account  a  hardship  !" 

"  But,  sir,"  said  Edward,"  there  is  one  thing 
I  want  to  ask  you,  for  it  puzzles  me.  There 
are  some  people,  you  know,  who  grow  up,  and 
grow  old,  and  die,  and  all  without  once  learn- 
ing the  good  way.  They  neglect  church,  they 
live  very  idle  lives,  if  not  worse,  card-playing, 
and  racing,  and  keeping  vain  company,  and 
laughing  at  those  who  are  godly.  Now  sup- 
pose, sir,  only  just  suppose  such  people  having 
children  ;  they  can  teach  them  no  good :  and 
I  want  to  know  what  are  the  children  the  bet- 
ter for  obeying  such  parents  ?" 
6 


655  DANGERS   AND  DUT/ES. 

Mr.  Wright  knew  very  well  that  Clarke's 
family  was  just  what  Edward  had  been  des- 
cribing, and  he  was  pleased  at  his  delicacy  in 
not  naming  them.  He  answered  :  "  My  dear 
boy,  in  the  book  of  Malachi  there  is  an  account 
of  the  rebellious  sayings  of  people  who  had  for- 
saken their  God :  one  of  them  is,  *  It  is  vain  to 
serve  God  ;  and  what  profit  is  it  if  we  have  kept 
his  ordinance  V  Obedience  to  parents  is  an 
ordinance  or  appointment  of  the  Lord,  and  even 
where  they  have  not  the  true  knowledge  of 
what  is  best  for  them,  still  to  be  under  control 
in  early  life  is  a  great  blessing.  '  A  proud 
look,  and  a  high  stomach,'  are  natural  to  a 
man;  and  happy  is  he  in  whom  they  have 
early  been  brought  down  !  I  speak  now  in  re- 
gard to  the  things  of  this  world,  which  are  not 
to  be  despised.  Would  not  your  mind  be  ha- 
rassed, and  your  temper  tried  by  having  a  noisy, 
rude,  tyrannical,  quarrelsome  neighbour,  and 
your  comfort  promoted  by  the  reverse?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  see  the  truth  of  that." 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  63 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  young  friends,"  continu- 
ed the  Tutor,  "  and  I  will  tell  you  something  of 
my  own  history." 

They  pressed  nearer  to  the  good  man,  and 
he,  after  looking  up  for  a  moment,  began : 

"  I  was  and  orphan  almost  from  my  birth ; 
my  father  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  his  horse 
the  day  after  I  was  born,  and  my  mother  died 
within  a  week.  I  had  neither  brother  nor 
sister,  and  the  care  of  the  property,  together 
with  myself,  devolved  on  an  uncle.  He  and  his 
wife  were  the  most  good-natured,  but  also  the 
most  indolent  people  I  ever  knew :  they  had  a 
large  family,  with  money  enough  to  keep  them 
from  all  anxiety,  and  they  never  took  the  trou- 
ble to  correct  or  restrain  a  child.  No  difference 
was  made  between  me  and  my  cousins  •  or  if 
any,  I  was  the  most  indulged.  '  Poor  thing !' 
they  would  say, '  we  must  not  let  him  feel  his 
fatherless  and  motherless  condition ;'  and  with 
this  generous  thought  they  encouraged  their 
own  children  to  yield  to  me  in  every  little  mat- 


64  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

ter.  Had  I  been  of  a  quarrelsome  or  overbear- 
ing disposition,  I  should  have  been  a  torment 
to  all :  through  mercy,  I  was  not  so,  but  when, 
at  nine  years  old,  it  was  judged  right  to  send 
me  to  a  public  school,  I  had  never  known  what 
disciphne  was. 

"  Here  I  proved  most  refractory,  giving 
more  trouble  than  any  two  other  boys ;  misera- 
ble because  I  could  not  have  my  own  way,  and 
resolved  not  to  give  it  up.  The  discipline  of 
the  school  was  not  severe,  and  the  boys  who 
submitted  to  it  were  happy  enough ;  but  I  had 
been  used  to  see  my  own  pleasure  consulted  in 
every  thing,  and  because  it  was  not,  I  grumbled 
at  things  I  should  probably  have  chosen  if  left 
to  my  own  choice.  Thus,  you  see,  at  that  early 
age,  I  should  have  been  far  better  and  happier 
if  kept  in  some  restraint  by  friends  who,  I  am 
bound  to  say,  were  not  religious." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Tom,  "  for  this  les- 
son :  will  you  tell  us  some  more  ?" 

"  Plenty  if  you  like  to  hear  it.      I  gained  a 


DANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  65 

bad  name  in  this  school  for  sullenness,  discontent, 
and  rebellion.  After  two  years  I  was  sent  to 
another,  far  more  strict,  when  I  secretly  deter- 
mined, for  my  own  comfort,  to  behave  better; 
but  it  so  fell  out  that  during  the  vacation  my 
old  and  new  masters  met ;  I  was  mentioned ; 
and  the  character  given  of  me,  which  I  well 
deserved,  was  any  thing  but  favourable.  For 
fear  I  should  lead  the  other  boys  into  rebellion, 
a  great  watch  was  kept  on  me :  all  my  actions 
were  judged  of  according  to  what  I  was  known 
to  have  been  at  the  former  school ;  and  any 
little  improvement  in  my  behaviour  was  consi- 
dered hypocrisy,  and  a  trick.  My  life  was 
really  unhappy;  and  every  day  gave  me  fresh 
cause  to  wish  I  had  been  brought  into  subjec- 
tion at  the  proper  time.  A  habit  of  obedience, 
even  where  the  principle  has  not  been  rightly 
inculcated,  is  always  found  to  be  both  a  com- 
fort and  a'dvantage  in  early  life,  and  I  began  to 
wish  I  had  suffered  even  from  undue  severity 
6* 


65  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

at  borne,  rather  than  to  reap  such  daily  fruits  of 
over-indulgence. 

"  I  had  no  thought  about  religion ;  but  one 
Sunday  a  strange  minister  preached  at  our 
church,  whose  discourse  struck  me  greatly.  He 
took  for  his  subject  the  lesson  of  the  day, 
which  was  the  16th  chapter  of  Numbers,  and  in 
speaking  of  the  rebellion  of  Korah  and  his  com- 
pany, he  showed  the  sinfulness  of  resistance 
against  constituted  authorities,  and  spoke  so 
feelingly  to  the  young  on  the  very  point  where  I 
was  most  concerned,  that  I  could  not  forget  it. 
I  begun  to  practise  obedience  frqm  a  far  higher 
motive,  and  so  consistently,  that  many  believed 
I  was  really  in  earnest,  wba  before  set  me  down 
as  a  deceiver. 

"  I  had  been  nearly  three  years  at  the 
school  when  a  plan  was  laid  for  doing  some- 
thing that  was  quite  contrary  to  all  the  rules  of 
the  place  and  the  commands  of  the  nfaster.  My 
help  was  wanted  j  but  instead  of  giving  into 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  67 

the  plot,  I  set  my  face  against  it,  and  plainly 
told  them  that  I  would  not  be  a  conspirator. 
Persuasions,  bribes,  threats  and  ill-usage  were 
all  tried  upon  me,  but  I  stood  fast,  and  prevail- 
ed on  two  or  three  others  to  do  the  samej  so 
that,  through  fear  of  our  informing,  the  rest 
gave  it  up,  I  underwent  a  good  deal  of  per- 
secution for  this,  but  it  did  not  last  long — one 
of  the  principal  boys  in  the  intended  mischief 
got  me  into  a  scrape,  through  spite;  I  was  pun- 
ished unjustly ;  and  another  of  them,  also  a 
leader,  was  so  indignant  at  the  meanness  of  it 
that  he  told  all  to  the  first  usher,  who  repeated 
it  to  the  master.  A  rigid  irK;[uiry  was  set  on 
foot,  the  whole  truth  was  discovered,  the  re- 
vengeful boy  expelled,  the  informer  forgiven, 
and  I  became  a  favourite  with  all  those  whose 
authority  I  had  upheld." 

"  That  was  very  gratifying  indeed,  sir," 
said  Edward. 

"  It  was  more  :  the  failure  of  a  bank  de- 
prived me  of  all  the  little  property  to  which  I 


68  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

should  have  been  entitled ;  and  I  must  have 
become  wholly  dependent  on  my  relations  but 
for  the  goodness  of  God  in  thus  making  me 
trustworthy  in  the  sight  of  my  master.  The 
school  being  increased,  he  engaged  me,  still 
very  young,  as  an  assistant  teacher,  took  me 
into  his  family,  and  led  me  into  what  I  have 
found  to  this  day  a  line  of  honourable  and  use- 
ful independence." 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  Frank,  "  if  that  is  not 
one  of  the  nicest  histories  I  ever  heard  !" 

"  And  one  of  the  most  encouraging,"  add- 
ed Tom. 

"  It  was  some  years,"  resumed  Mr.  Wright, 
"  before  I  was  brought  to  see  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  and  so  to  understand  both  the  true  source 
of  all  government,  and  the  main  spring  of  all 
acceptable  obedience.  What  I  have  been  telling 
you  was  to  prove  how  unerring  is  the  wisdom 
of  God,  how  safe  a  rule  we  find  in  all  his  com- 
mandments. I  was  proud  of  my  own  compar- 
atively right  conduct,  and  so  made  it  an  occa- 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  69 

sion  of  sin,  instead  of  a  merit,  until  I  learned 
that  valuable  lesson,  that '  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one 
that  believeth.'  Still  the  Lord,  who  led  me 
and  preserved  me  before  I  knew  him,  had  gui- 
ded me,  being  blind,  into  a  path  that  I  found  it 
my  blessing  to  continue  in,  when  he  graciously 
opened  my  eyes." 

The  boys  were  so  much  interested  in  what 
they  heard,  that  the  object  of  their  walk  was 
forgotten  for  a  time  ;  and  they  were  almost 
surprised  to  meet  Taylor,  at  a  cross-road,  on 
horseback,  Csesar  beside  him,  and  a  stout  groom 
following.  "  I  mustn't  stop,"  said  he  :  "I  saw 
Clarke  and  his  company  not  far  off,  by  looking 
over  the  hedges  ;  and  I  don't  want  them  to  see 
me.     Good  bye,"  and  he  trotted  away. 

"  What  shall  we  do,  sir  V  asked  Frank. 

"  Nothing :  walk  quietly  on." 

Presently  a  loud  noise  of  shouting,  laugh- 
ing and  singing  announced  the  approach  of 
Clarke's  party,  who  came  across  a  field,  and 


70  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

over  a  high  gate  into  the  road.  There  were 
several  young  gentlemen,  and  two  or  three 
who  were  not  quite  of  that  rank,  nor  consider- 
ed respectable  in  character,  being  very  quarrel- 
some and  rude  :  and  all  were  armed  ^vith  tough 
sticks,  a  little  curved  at  the  end  to  make  them 
resemble  hockey-sticks,  for  which  however 
they  were  too  short  and  thick.  When  they 
had  all  passed  the  gate,  Clarke  began  to  whis- 
tle and  call  "  Rover  !"  and  as  the  dog  did  not 
obey  the  summons,  they  were  obliged  to  wait 
for  him,  so  that  Mr.  Wright  and  his  party 
came  up  with  them  while  they  stood  there. 
Several  of  the  boys  spoke  to  the  Seymours  and 
Tom  ;  and  Clarke,  who  seemed  a  little  out  of 
countenance  at  meeting  them,  said,  "  We  are 
going  down  by  the  meadow  to  have  a  good 
game  of  play.  I  suppose  you  won't  come,  as 
you  have  no  sticks." 

"  No,"  replied  Edward, "  we  are  for  a  quiet 
walk.     Have  you  lost  your  dog  ?" 

"  He's  always  running  away,  and  won't  be 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  71 

restrained,"  answered  one  of  the  party  :  "  the 
more  he's  wanted,  the  surer  he  is  to  be  a  mile 
off." 

"  Well,"  remarked  Tom,  "  I  never  heard  of 
a  dog  being  wanted  at  hockey." 

"  No  more  he  is,"  said  Clarke,  with  an 
angry  glance  at  the  former  speaker :  "  we  nev- 
er thought  of  bringing  him,  but  he  slipped  out, 
following  us  at  a  distance,  and  it  was  not  worth 
while  taking  him  back." 

Just  then  Rover  made  his  appearance 
through  the  hedge ;  his  young  master  seized 
and  bestowed  on  him  several  blows  and  kicks, 
which  he  returned  by  growling ;  but  when  an- 
other boy  lifted  his  stick,  the  dog  sprang  to- 
wards him  so  fiercely  that  he  was  glad  to  make 
a  hasty  retreat.  They  went  on,  and  Frank  ex- 
claimed, "  How  shocking  of  Clarke  to  tell  three 
such  downright  falsehoods  almost  in  a  breath  ! 
They  are  not  going  to  play  hockey  ;  they  are 
not  going  near  the  meadow  ;  and  Rover  did 
not  follow  them  in  the  way  he  says." 


72  DANGER^   AND   DUTIES. 

"It  is  melancholy  indeed,"  observed  Mr. 
Wright,  "  to  see  such  a  total  disregard  for 
truth  ;  but  it  is  not  surprising  ;  for  when  God's 
authority  is  scorned,  his  laws  will  never  be 
kept.  Clarke's  father  heard  of  the  quarrel, 
and  suspecting  his  son's  plan  of  revenge,  posi- 
tively forbade  it ;  so  that  every  step  he  is  now 
taking  is  in  the  path  of  direct  disobedience." 

"  That  great  dog  will  do  some  terrible  mis- 
chief, I  fear,"  said  Edward. 

"  I  should  be  more  afraid  of  Caesar  in  a  real 
fight,"  observed  Tom.  "  The  other  has  too 
much  of  the  bully  about  him  to  be  truly  brave." 

They  walked  on,  uncertain  in  what  direc- 
tion they  had  best  go ;  and  at  last  took  a 
roundabout  road  towards  the  stile  where  the 
first  meeting  of  the  boy  had  taken  place.  They 
had  not  come  within  sight  of  it  when  a  violent 
shouting  to  the  left  startled  them  ;  and  running 
hastily  to  a  heap  of  loose  stones  from  which 
they  could  see  over  the  hedge,  they  beheld 
Clarke's  party  in  full  chase  after  their  old  ene- 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  73 

ray  across  one  field,  while  in  another,  and  in 
the  very  opposite  direction,  Rover  was  jdriving 
a  flock  of  terrified  sheep  befi)re  him. 

"  I'm  so  glad  the  dog  is  away !"  cried  Ed- 
ward :  "  1  only  hope  he  won't  mind  their 
shouts ;  that  miserable  boy  would  be  torn  to 
pieces  by  him.  How  cowardly  for  such  a  party 
to  attack  one !"  for  the  boys  were  brandishing 
their  sticks,  and  the  foremost  often  struck  at 
the  lad  as  they  pressed  on  him — happily  not 
near  enough  to  touch  him. 

But  the  scene  soon  changed  ;  the  boy  made 
for  a  gap  in  the  farthest  hedge,  through  which 
he  sprang,  followed  by  those  who  were  close 
behind  him ;  but  ere  their  companions  could 
also  pass  they  came  tearing  back,  with  cries  of 
terror  and  pain,  running  over  those  whom  they 
met,  and  pursued  by  four  or  five  lads,  much 
bigger  than  themselves,  who  were  hurling  stones 
at  them,  which  flew  about  in  all  directions. 
"  There  !"  cried  Tom, "  there's  the  boy  running 
after  Clarke  with  a  stick  that  I  saw  him  wrest 
7 


74  '         DANGERS   AND  DUTIES. 

from  one  of  them.  Oh,  sir,  I  fear  he  will  over- 
take him !  What  a  rage  he  seems  to  be  in  ! 
There,  he  has  fallen  over  something,  and  poor 
Clarke  has  got  the  start  by  a  good  bit." 

"  But  he  will  be  overtaken  yet,"  said  Frank ; 
"  for  there's  a  big  fellow  with  a  pole  in  his 
hand  coming  up  the  other  way  to  catch  him  ; 
and  you  see  the  boy  is  running  faster  than  ever. 
Now  where  is  that  dog  of  his  1  it  would  be  right 
to  use  him  in  such  a  case,  would  not  it,  sir  ?" 

But  Mr.  Wright  was  too  much  alarmed  to 
notice  the  question  :  he  saw  that  what  Frank 
called  a  pole  had  a  sharp  point  of  some 
metal,  and  he  dreaded  the  consequences.  Tay- 
lor now  rode  into  the  field,  and  made  for  that 
part  of  it,  but  his  pony,  struck  by  a  stone, 
backed  and  reared  :  Taylor,  who  was  a  boy  of 
great  courage,  immediately  threw  himself  off, 
and  ran  at  full  speed  towards  Clarke,  Caesar 
close  beside  him,  evidently  wishing  to  inter- 
pose, but  kept  back  by  his  master's  uplifted 
hand  and  voice.     Presently,  however,  the  boy 


DANGERS   AND' DUTIES.  75 

overtook  Clarke,  knocked  him  down,  and  began 
beating  Eiira,  on  which  Taylor  threw  his  hand 
forward,  with  a  word  of  encouragement,  and 
Csesar,  with  every  hair  of  his  shaggy  neck  bris- 
tling, and  every  muscle  of  his  body  braced, 
made  a  momentary  point,  then  a  rush,  and 
seizing  the  boy  by  the  shoulder,  turned  him 
over,  and  stood  across  him,  keeping  a  firm,  and, 
as  it  seemed,  a  disabling  hold. 

"  Oh,  fine  dog  !  noble  fellow !  brave  Cae- 
sar !"  ejaculated  the  boys ;  while  Mr.  Wright 
exclaimed,  "  he  is  killed !"  and  at  the  same 
moment,  while  Taylor  assisted  Clarke  to  rise, 
the  man  before  noticed  came  up,  and  plunged 
his  sharp  prong  into  the  dog's  side.  They  all 
jumped  down  from  the  stones, — Mr.  Wright 
saying,  "  Boys,  we  mvM  help  them  if  we  can," 
and  struggling  through  the  hedge  they  all  ran 
into  the  field  :  but  at  the  same  time  a  larger 
company  entered  it  from  another  quarter;  and 
to  their  great  relief  they  saw  Taylor's  father 
with  a  party  of  police,  who  gave  chase  on  all 


76  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

sides  to  the  assailants,  and  captured  two  or 
three.     The  rest  got  away. 

Mr.  Taylor  and  others  reached  the  spot 
where  Clarke  was  supported  by  Phil,  at  the 
same  time  with  Mr.  Wright  and  his  boys ;  the 
fellows  were  both  taken, — Caesar,  in  spite  of 
his  wound,  keeping  a  long  hold  of  the  first  of- 
fender :  he  was  now,  however,  exhausted  by 
bleeding,  and  lay  a  sad  mangled  spectacle, 
writhing  and  moaning,  and  looking  most 
piteously  at  his  master,  whose  hand  he  strove 
to  lick  when  he  stooped  to  examine  his  hurt. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  poor  fellow  I"  said  Mr.  Tay- 
lor, "  there  is  nothing  left  but  to  put  you  out 
of  your  misery." 

"Oh  don't.  Papa,  don't  kill  him!"  cried 
Phil.     "  He  saved  Clarke's  life,  indeed  he  did." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it ;  and  he  saved  your  little 
brother  once.  A  more  noble,  faithful  creature 
never  was.  He  may  thank  you  for  his  cruel 
fate,  who  chose  to  be  a  party  to  this  outrage 
and  bring  him  here  too ;   instead  of  appeal- 


'         DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  77 

ing  to  me,  whose  office  it  is  to  preserve  the 
peace." 

Caesar  gave  a  howl  of  such  agony  that  it 
went  to  every  heart.  Phil  burst  into  a  fit  of 
crying,  while  his  father  drew  a  pistol  from  his 
pocket,  saying,  "  'Tis  the  only  return  I  can 
make  you,  my  poor  fellow,  for  all  your  love  and 
fidelity  to  me  and  mine."  He  once  more  strok- 
ed the  dog's  face,  who  again  tried  to  lick  his 
hand,  and  then  stepping  back  a  pace,  took  a 
steady  aim,  turned  his  head  away,  and  fired. 
The  shot  took  effect:  one  convulsion  shook 
the  noble  creatiu*e,  and  he  lay  quite  still  in 
death. 

Philip  sobbed  violently ;  he  w^as  not  the  only 
one  who  shed  tears  ;  and  Clarke  exclaimed, 
"  As  sure  as  I  live,  PU  hang  that  brute  Rover  to- 
night." 

"  You  may  spare  yourself  the  trouble,  sir," 

answered  Mr.  Taylor.     "  Your  cur  is  lying  in 

a  ditch  with  his  brains  knocked  out,  I  suppose, 

by  the  man  whose  young  lambs  he  had  just 

7* 


7B  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES, 

been  worrying.  However,  you  have  been  se- 
verely punished  yourself,  I  see ;  and  let  me  tell 
you  the  laws  of  this  country  are  not  to  be  brok- 
en with  impunity  by  high  or  low.  Come,  Phil, 
I  forgive  you,  in  consideration  of  your  losing 
Caesar,  though  he  is  a  greater  loss  to  me  ;  and 
because  you  have  shown  some  courage  in  this 
affair,  without  being  actually  a  principal  in  it." 

"  Well  now,"  said  Edward,  as  they  walk- 
ed home,  "  I  did  not  think  I  could  have  cried 
for  a  dog  as  I  did  for  Caesar." 

"  His  fidelity,  bravery,  and  sufferings  deserv- 
ed a  tear,"  said  Mr.  Wright ;  "  and  even  in  the 
case  of  a  brute,  which  compared  with  man '  hath 
no  understanding,'  how  finely  is  the  value  of  obe- 
dience to  lawful  authority  proved  by  what  we 
have  seen  to-day  !  Clarke's  dog,  untaught  in 
that  important  lesson,  forsook  his  master  when 
most  needed,  did  great  injury  to  the  property  of 
another,  and  only  escaped  by  a  violent  death  the 
more  protracted  sufferings  that  it  is  but  too  prob- 
able a  revengeful  owner  would  have  inflicted  on 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  79 

him.  Caesar,  on  the  contrary,  well  instructed 
in  his  duty,  resisted  all  temptation  to  rove  from 
his  young  master's  side,  restrained  his  evident 
impatience  to  rush  among  the  combatants  un- 
til permission  was  given,  and  the  quarter  point- 
ed out  where  he  should  act,  and  then  became 
the  means,  probably,  of  saving  a  life,  and  of 
bringing  a  very  dangerous  public  offender  to 
justice.  He  died  in  discharge  of  his  duty  ;  but 
his  sufferings  were  very  short ;  and  to  the  last 
he  had  what  his  race  prize  above  all  other  things 
— the  caresses  of  his  master.  To  him  there  is 
no  hereafter  :  he  was  given  to  aflford  us  valua- 
ble lessons,  and  now  he  ceases  to  exist.  How 
awful  it  is  to  contemplate  the  too  probable  fu- 
turity of  several  among  the  human  actors  in  this 
day's  scene !" 

"  I  remember,"  said  Edward,  "  that  the 
other  morning  when  Papa  was  instructing  us  in 
the  duty  of  obedience,  he  showed  us  what  St. 
Paul  says  about  the  '  petilous  times,'  of  the  last 
days ;  and  he  traced  out  the  different  marks  of 


80  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

the  bad  character  given  to  the  men  of  whom 
the  apostle  speaks.  Certainly  we  saw  a  good 
deal  of  it  this  afternoon." 

"  Yes,"  added  Frank  :  "  there  was  fierce- 
ness, headiness,  high-mindedness,  disobedience 
to  parents ;  and  most  of  them  were  proud,  and 
all  of  them  were  traitors,  for  all  helped  to  break 
the  law  :  and" 

Mr.  Wright  interrupted  him,  saying,  "  My 
dear  Frank,  let  us  take  heed  lest,  while  thus 
freely  condemning  others,  we  unduly  exalt  our- 
selves for  having,  in  a  measure,  escaped  this 
particular  snare,  and  so  become  '  boasters.' " 

"  I  am  sure,  sir,"  remarked  Tom,  "  that 
character  belongs  to  me:  for  though  I  have  said 
nothing  I  have  thought  a  good  deal  in  my  own 
praise." 

"  It  behooves  us  to  be  very  watchful,  my 
young  friend;  for  pride  is  exceedingly  hateful 
to  God,  and  Satan  knows  how  to  fill  our  minds 
with  self-applause,  whtle  we  condemn  in  others 
what  is  perhaps  more  openly  sinful,  but  not 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  81 

more  displeasing  to  Him  who  searcheth  the 
heart,  than  a  vain-glorious,  self-righteous 
spirit." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Edward,  "  that  do 
what  we  will  we  must  go  wrong  in  something. 
'Tis  enough  to  make  any  body  melancholy,  to 
watch  himself  and  judge  himself  always." 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Mr.  Wright,  "  the 
Christian  must  be '  of  all  men  most  miserable,'  if 
to  the  discovery  of  his  soul's  inveterate  disease, 
and  of  his  own  inability  to  remedy,  or  to  pre- 
vent its  breaking  out,  there  was  not  added  the 
knowledge  of  that  Great  Physician  who  has  both 
the  power  and  the  will  to  heal  him.  They  who 
come  to  Christ  daily  for  supplies  of  grace  and 
strength,  do,  indeed,  find  a  conflict  going  on,  the 
flesh  lusting  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit* 
against  the  flesh,  so  that  they  cannot  do  the 
things  that  they  would  ;  but  they  also  experi- 
ence the  mighty  power  of  Him  in  whom  they 
trust,  continually  aiding  their  weak  efforts  :  and 
they  know  that  however  imperfect  in  themselves 


JSS&  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

they  are  complete  in  Him,  being  justified  be- 
fore God  by  faitii  in  his  Son.  Therefore,  instead 
of  the  watchful  believer  being  always  melan- 
choly, he  is  '  alway  rejoicing.'  God,  by  the 
mouth  of  the  apostle,  has  told  him  to  '  rejoice 
evermore.'  The  experience  that  he  has  of  his 
own  corruptions  keeps  him  humble,  and  fearful 
of  transgressing ;  but  the  very  depth  of  his  na- 
tural misery  is  an  additional  call  for  praise,  and 
rejoicing  in  Him  who  hath  delivered  him  from  the 
bondage  of  that  corruption,  and  translated  him 
into  a  kingdom,  the  character  of  which  is  right- 
eousness, and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost." 
"  I  understand  a  little  of  this,"  said  Tom : 
"  not  so  much,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  from  my  own 
experience,  as  from  what  I  constantly  see  in 
my  dear  Mamma.  Before  Papa  died,  I  did  not 
observe  it  so  much ;  but  since  that,  from  my  being 
the  eldest  of  us  now  alive,  I  have  kept  with 
her  as  much  as  I  could,  trying  to  comfort  and 
amuse  her ;  and  I  am  sure,  sir,  what  you  have 
now  been  saying,  just  describes  her  feeling." 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  83r 

"  You  are  all  greatly  favoured  in  your  pa- 
rents, my  dear  boys,"  said  the  tutor  affectionately ; 
*'  how  much  should  it  increase  your  desire  and 
endeavour  to  be  made  useful  to  those  who  are 
not  so  privileged !" 

"I  feel  most  for  Phil,"  remarked  Edward  ; 
"  because  when  his  Mamma  had  her  health  she 
used  to  take  great  pains  to  teach  him  what  is 
good  ;  but  since  she  became  so  ailing  as  to  be 
always  laid  up,  I  don't  think  any  body  does  as 
much  for  him,  I  myself  heard  Mr.  Taylor  say 
that  religion  was  a  very  melancholy  thing, 
when  carried  farther  than  it  ought  to  be." 

"  And  did  he  explain  how  far  it  ought  to  be 
carried  V  asked  Mr.  Wright. 

"Yes, sir;  he  said  we  should  always  be  re- 
ligious at  church,  and  never  jest  at  sacred 
things :  never  swear,  nor  break  any  of  the  com- 
mandments. Papa  answered  him  by  showing 
how  constantly  we  break  them  all;  but  he 
would  not  agree  with  him,  and  so  it  ended." 

"  Poor  Phil  will   break  his  heart  about 


84  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Caesar,"  observed  Tom.  .  "  VVe  must  go  and 
see  him  to-morrow,  and  console  him." 

"  Probably  we  shall  all  be  summoned,"  said 
Mr.  Wright,  "  as  having  been  the  only  im- 
partial witnesses  of  the  affray.  I  suppose  the 
examination  will  take  place  to-morrow." 

He  was  not  mistaken :  they  received  a  sum- 
mons to  attend ;  and  Mr.  Seymour,  who  return- 
ed late  that  night,  prepared  to  accompany  them. 

The  two  brothers  lay  awake  a  long  while, 
talking  over  the  event  of  the  day.  "  I  can't  get 
that  poor  dog  out  of  my  thoughts,"  said  Frank. 
"  I  seem  to  see  him  dying,  with  his  eyes  turned 
on  his  master.  What  a  beautiful  creature  it  was, 
Edward,  and  how  sensible  and  obedient !" 

"  Ah,  Frank,  I  begin  to  see  a  great  deal  of 
beauty  in  obedience.  You  know  we  jased  to 
think  between  ourselves  that  it  was  a  mark  of 
a  mean  spirit,  and  that  wilfulness  was  courage. 
Did  you  notice  Mr.  Wright's  story  ?  Obedience 
made  him  brave,  so  that  he  not  only  refused  to 
have  anything  to  do  in  the  rebellion  of  the  school 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  85 

but  opposed  it  openly,  and  persuaded  others 
against  joining  it,  though  he  made  himself  ene- 
mies, and  got  ill-treated,  and  little  hope  of  ever 
being  the  better  for  it,  I  dare  say." 

"  I  took  notice  of  that,  Eddy  ;  and  I'll  tell 
you  something  more  :  every  single  bit  of  mis- 
chief done  this  day  came  of  disobedience. 
First,  that  bad  boy  insulted  us  all,  disobeying 
God's  command  to  be  peaceable,  and  courteous, 
and  so  on.  Then  our  party  disobeyed,  by  re- 
turning railing  for  railing,  and  so  made  it  worse. 
Then  to-day,  Clarke  broke  a  command  by  trying 
to  avenge  himself,  and  also  disobeyed  his  father 
completely  :  and  really,  I  am  afraid  he  is  very 
badly  hurt,  for  his  head  swelled  up  terribly, 
and  he  got  quite  stupid.  Phil  did  what  he  knew 
his  father  would  have  positively  forbidden,  and 
that  was  disobedience.  Certainly  there  is  no 
end  to  the  mischief  of  disobeying  !" 

"  Then,  Frank,  let  us  determine  from  this 
time  never  to  leave  our  room  without  praying 
to  be  kept  watchful,  that  we  may  not  be  led 
8 


86  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

into  disobedience.  We  have  not  wisdom  or 
strength  of  our  own  to  avoid  the  snares  set  for 
every  foot ;  and  the  recollection  that  we  have 
engaged  help  from  above  will  greatly  encourage 
us  when  we  are  tempted  to  do  wrong." 

Having  made  this  resolve,  and  also  deter- 
mined to  cultivate  a  greater  intimacy  with  Tom, 
in  whose  character  they  saw  so  much  to  respect, 
the  two  boys  settled  themselves  to  sleep. 


PART    IV. 

There  was  a  large  room  detached  from  Mr. 
Taylor's  house  where  he  used  to  hear  the  cases 
that  were  brought  before  him  as  a  magistrate, 
and  to  this  Mr.  Seymour  and  the  Tutor  went 
straight,  while  the  three  boys  looked  for  Philip. 
They  found  him,  very  pale  and  sorrowful,  stand- 
ing by  a  little  mound,  while  the  gardener  gath- 
ered up  a  spade  and  other  implements,  and 
touching  his  hat,  said,  "  Fll  get  some  fresh  sods 
in  the  evening,  sir,  and  smooth  it  down  neatly. 
Poor  fellow !  it's  little  enough  to  do  for  bim 
that  was  the  best  guard  my  garden  ever  had. 
If  he  heard  but  a  cat  or  any  mischievous  ver- 
min about,  how  he'd  scare  them  away  with  his 
warning  bark,  or  his  bustling  trot,  as  if  he  was 
going  to  swallow  them  alive  ;  and  yet  he  never 


Ob  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

set  his  big  paw  inside  the  border,  nor  broke  the 
stalk  of  the  least  flower  that  grows.  Poor  fel- 
low !"  he  repeated,  still  looking  back  on  the 
mound,  as  he  slowly  retired. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  buried  him,"  said  Ed- 
ward. "  He  deserved  the  best  grave  you  could 
give  him." 

Philip  did  not  answer  ',  his  heart  was  too 
full  for  a  word. 

"  My  Mamma  cried,"  said  Tom,  "  when  I 
told  her  of  his  death  :  she  sent  her  love  to  you 
Phil ;  and  she  hopes  you  will  always  cherish 
poor  Caesar's  memory,  and  value  his  beautiful 
example." 

"  We  will  plant  a  tree,  shall  we  ?"  said 
Frank.  "  You  shall  have  my  beautiful  young 
acacia  :  it  will  bear  removing." 

How  sweet  is  sympathy,  even  in  childish 
sorrow  !  Their  young  companion  felt  it :  "I 
am  sure,"  said  he,  dashing  away  the  tears  that 
would  start, "  I  am  sure  you  are  very  kind  to 
me,  and  more  than  I  deserve  or  expected,  for  I 


DANGERS    AND   DUTIES.  89 

was  afraid  you  might  reproach  me  with  Caesar's 
death,  as  I  caused  it  by  neglecting  your  good 
advice."  He  then  added,  "  Mamma  sent  for 
me  last  night  to  her  bed-side,  and  made  me 
kneel  down  and  thank  God  for  protecting  me 
from  injury.  She  talked  a  great  deal  to  me, 
and  showed  me  how  wrong  I  had  been.  To 
tell  you  the  truth  I  am  more  to  blame  than 
poor  Clarke,  for  I  knew  he  seldom  gets  a  word 
of  good  advice  from  his  parents,  though  they 
give  him  money  and  indulge  him  enough  ; 
while  I  have  my  Papa  always  telling  me  to  be- 
have like  a  gentleman  and  a  good  loyal  subject ; 
and  poor  Mamma  is  never  so  happy  as  when  I 
go  and  read  the  Bible  to  her,  and  let  her  talk  to 
me  of  my  duty  to  God.  I  am  very  wicked,  I 
fear ;  and  I  feel  this  the  more  because  it  is  a 
punishment  of  my  sin." 

"  I  hardly  think,"  observed  Edward,  "  that 
we  can  call  the  loss  of  a  dog  a  punishment  of 
sin." 

"  I  think  we  may,  Edward,"  said  Tom, 
8* 


90  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  for  it  is  not  the  greatness  of  the  thing  itself, 
but  the  degree  of  trouble  it  causes  us  that  makes 
the  punishment.  Now  Clarke  would  not  fret  a 
bit  for  the  loss  of  all  the  pets  in  the  world,  be- 
cause he  cares  for  nothing  but  himself:  and  I 
dare  say  he  thinks  it  very  dreadful  to  be  laid  up 
with  a  broken  head,  and  kept  from  his  play  for 
some  time ;  but  I  do  believe  Phil  would  be  glad 
to  have  Caesar  alive  now,  at  the  expense  of  a 
broken  bone,  and  a  long  laying  up." 

"  Ay,  that  I  would,  Tom.  When  I  came 
down  this  morning,  and  into  the  court-yard, 
nobody  can  think  how  I  missed  my  faithful  dog, 
•with  his  welcoming  face  and  joyful  bark :  but 
•when  I  saw  him  stretched  out  under  the  trees, 
as  he  often  was  in  his  sleep,  and  could  not  help 
calling  to  him,  and  he  never  moved  at  that  or 
my  step,  which  would  make  him  jump  up,  and 
fly  to  meet  me,  it  was  worse ;  and  when  I  looked 
at  his  torn  side,  and  considered  how  he  came  by 
his  death,  I  declare  that  what  with  sorrow  and 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  91 

self-reproach,  I  don't  know  any  punishment  I 
could  have  felt  so  much."  And  his  tears  flowed 
again. 

Some  boys,  seeing  a  companion  so  distressed 
on  such  an  occasion,  would  have  treated  it  as 
foolish :  some  would  have  told  him  not  to  think 
any  more  about  it ;  and  I  fear  there  are  some 
who  would  have  laughed  at  his  talking  of  sin 
and  punishment ;  but  neither  the  Seymours  nor 
Tom  were  the  boys  to  do  so ;  they  felt  very 
sorry  for  their  friend  ;  and  as  they  knew  he  had 
certainly  been  wrong,  they  were  thankful  that 
he  took  as  a  correction  the  sad  consequences  of 
his  error.  They  comforted  him  without  trying 
to  alter  his  feeling  ;  Tom  reminded  him  of  the 
text, '  Let  us  search  and  try  our  ways,  and  turn 
again  to  the  Lord  ;'  and  Edward  noticed  how 
mercifully  he  had  escaped  being  hurt  by  the 
large  stone  that  struck  his  pony;  and  how 
thankful  he  ought  to  be  that  the  loss  of  an  ani- 
mal which  had  no  soul  had  been  the  means  of 
saving  Clarke  from  a  sudden  death,  which  they 


92  DANGERS   AND    DUTIES. 

feared  he  was  sadly  unprepared  for.  Frank 
added,  that  the  boy,  who  was  plainly  very  igno- 
rant and  wicked,  would  then  have  suffered  as  a 
murderer  too :  and  altogether  they  proved  to 
Taylor  that  he  had  very  much  to  be  thankful 
for. 

By  this  time  the  justice-room  was  filling,  and 
a  servant  came  to  tell  them  they  had  better 
make  haste.  So,  after  another  kind  look  at 
poor  Caesar's  grave,  they  went  in.  Mr.  Taylor 
and  a  neighbouring  magistrate  were  sitting  at 
a  table,  the  clerk  being  near,  with  plenty  of  wri- 
ting materials,  acts  of  parliament,  summonses, 
and  other  things,  and  a  Bible  to  swear  the  wit- 
nesses on.  Mr.  Seymour,  the  Tutor,  Mr.  Clarke, 
and  several  other  gentlemen  sat  by  ;  there  was 
also  the  owner  of  the  field  where  the  affray 
took  place ;  and  the  shepherd  whose  flock  Ro- 
ver had  worried,  and  all  who  could  find  any  pos- 
sible pretext  for  connecting  themselves  with  the 
event,  which  had  excited  great  interest  in  the 
neighbourhood.     Some  very  ill-looking  men. 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  93 

strangers,  were  anxious  to  be  admitted,  saying 
they  could  speak  to  the  characters  of  the  pris- 
oners ;  and  one  declared  he  would  prove  they 
were  not  on  the  spot  at  all :  but  the  magistrates 
said  it  was  a  private  examination,  with  which 
chai'acter  had  nothing  to  do ;  and  as  for  their 
proving  an  alibi,  the  offenders  were  taken  in 
the  very  act  of  breaking  the  laws,  so  that  was 
impossible. 

When  the  boys  came  in,  and  had  looked 
round  the  room,  Tom  whispered  to  his  compa- 
nions, "  What  a  blessing  our  laws  are !  Those 
fellows,  though  they  were  near  committing 
murder,  cannot  be  punished,  nor  even  sent  to 
prison,  without  such  a  full  inquiry  as  this." 

All  being  ready,  the  prisoners  were  brought 
in,  handcuffed;  for  they  had  shown  a  strong 
disposition  to  break  away  or  to  do  some  mis- 
chief. They  looked  very  surly  and  hardened, 
and  showed  no  sort  of  respect  to  any  of  the 
gentlemen.  Mr.  Clarke  was  first  examined  :  he 
deposed  that  his  son  was  very  severely  cut  in 


94  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

the  head,  and  bruised  in  various  parts  of  the 
body  :  not  dangerously  it  was  hoped,  but  so  as 
to  render  it  quite  impossible  for  him  to  attend. 
One  of  the  elder  boys  next  came  forward,  and 
related  the  circumstances  of  their  being  pelted 
with  stones  and  driven  back,  when  passing 
through  a  gap  in  the  field ;  after  which,  he  said, 
they  were  attacked  and  hunted  in  all  directions, 
and  the  younger  prisoner,  James  Martin,  over- 
taking Clarke,  had  struck  him  down  and  beaten 
him,  until  a  large  dog  seized  and  held  him  fast. 
Here  Martin  interrupted :  "  I  say,  young  chap, 
who  began  it  V  The  boy  rephed  that  the 
other  party  began,  as  they  had  not  touched 
them. 

"  Wasn't  I  running  for  my  life  from  half- 
a-dozen  of  you,  when  my  comrades  came  up  1" 

The  other  replied,  that  Martin  had  insulted 
and  threatened  all  a  few  days  before  ;  and  they 
certainly  expressed  some  anger  on  seeing  him. 

"  Deny  if  you  can,"  said  Martin,  "  that  you 
came  out  with  strong  sticks  and  other  things  on 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  95 

purpose  to  look  for  me  and  give  me  a  beat- 

This  could  not  be  denied  ;  and  the  prisoners 
clamorously  demanded  to  be  set  at  liberty,  in 
order  that  they  might  swear  to  the  attack  on 
them ;  but  Mr.  Clarke  said  he  had  a  witness  to 
prove  that  tne  prisoners  and  others  had  been 
looking  out  for  his  son's  party,  and  arming 
themselves  with  stones,  &c.,  and  that  when  the 
boys  approached,  Martin  went  forward  alone 
on  purpose  to  entice  them  to  the  very  spot 
w^here  the  stones  were  piled,  and  his  confede- 
rates concealed.  Martin  replied,  that  if  fellows 
came  against  him  to  break  his  head,  he  had  a 
right  to  do  the  best  to  defend  himself  and  to 
punish  them.  Some  of  those  present  seemed  to 
be  struck  by  the  remark,  and  inclined  to  think 
so  too ;  but  the  magistrate  said  that  he  might 
either  have  avoided  the  meeting,  or  have  claim- 
ed protection  from  the  laws,  which  were  made 
for  the  benefit  of  all  classes,  and  especially  for 
the  poor. 


96  DANGERS    AND   DUTIES. 

Mr.  Wright  proved  that  Martin  showed 
himself  to  the  boys,  and  then  ran  before  them 
to  the  spot  where  the  rest  were  hid ;  but  he 
also  admitted  that  the  young  gentlemen  fol- 
lowed him  in  a  body,  threatening,  and  attempt- 
ing to  strike  him  when  they  thought  he  was 
alone  and  defenceless :  on  which  Mr.  Taylor 
observed,  that  persons  capable  of  such  cow- 
ardly, disgraceful  conduct,  did  not  deserve  to 
be  called  gentlemen. 

The  farther  the  examination  went  the  more 
blatnable  both  parties  appeared;  and  every 
body  had  something  to  complain  of,  or  to  threat- 
en. The  owner  of  the  field  said  he  must  have 
compensation  for  the  damage  done  to  it ;  Mr. 
Clarke  said  he  would  indict  the  shepherd  for 
killing  a  valuable  dog,  and  the  shepherd  said 
lie  must  be  paid  for  the  lambs  worried  by  that 
vicious  animal.  The  prisoners  demanded  to  be 
discharged,  but  did  it  in  so  insolent  and  mena- 
cing a  manner,  that  the  magistrates  agreed  to 
let  it  go  to  the  sessions,  which  were  very  near 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  97 

at  hand.  The  prisoners  were  ordered  to  find 
bail,  which  they  could  not  do,  no  man  liking  to 
be  surety  for  such  desperate  characters,  stran- 
gers, too,  in  that  place;  so  a  committal  was 
made  out,  and  the  officers  were  ordered  to  es- 
cort them  safely  to  gaol. 

They  were  conducted  from  the  justice-room; 
and  the  witnesses  having  also  retired,  the  gen- 
tlemen were  about  to  separate,  when  Mr.  Clarke 
received  a  note,  stating  that  the  surgeon  had 
arrived  to  see  his  patient,  and  was  so  far  from 
being  satisfied  about  him  that  he  wished  his  as- 
sailants to  be  detained  in  custody  for  the  present. 
A  stricter  charge  was  given  to  the  policeman, 
and  Mr.  Clarke  hastened  away  to  see  his  son. 
The  Seymours  begged  their  father  to  invite 
Phil  to  accompany  them  home  for  the  day, 
which  he  readily  did ;  and  while  the  boys  were 
arranging  their  plans  together,  he  went,  with 
Mr.  Wright  and  Mr.  Taylor,  to  a  back  room 
where  the  prisoners  were  ordered  to  get  some 


98  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

refreshment,  and  to  wait  till  the  crowd  outside 
"were  dispersed. 

"  Here's  pretty  justice,  aint  it  ?"  said  Mar- 
tin to  his  companion,  pretending  not  to  see 
them ;  "  we  are  the  honest  people  and  they 
the  rogues;  but  because  they've  got  better 
coats  on,  they  may  trample  us  in  the  dust. 
They'll  be  sick  of  it  before  long." 

"  Young  ruffian,"  said  the  magistrate  stern- 
ly? "you  may  find  justice  too  strong  for  you 
yet :  you  may  be  tried  for  your  life." 

Martin  nodded,  as  if  knowing  better  than  to 
believe  this ;  and  Mr.  Taylor  added,  "  The 
young  gentleman  whom  you  so  savagely  as- 
saulted, is  now  in  danger." 

Martin,  for  a  moment,  changed  counten- 
ance, and  his  companion,  with  a  jog  of  the 
elbow,  muttered,  "  That  would  be  an  ugly  job, 
Jem." 

"  Manslaughter,"  replied  the  other,  coolly, 
"  and  mayhap  not  that,  for  they  began.  If 
luck's  on  my  side,  I'll  get  off." 


DANGERS   AND  DUTIES.  99 

"  And  if  you  did  escape  the  judgment  of 
man,"  said  Mr.  Seymour, "  the  stain  of  murder 
would  remain  on  your  conscience,  and  where 
would  you  flee  from  the  vengeance  of  God  ?" 

The  lad  looked  at  him  with  a  grin  of  in- 
credulity and  derision ;  while  the  other,  who 
appeared  a  good  deal  startled  at  Clarke's 
danger,  civilly  said,  "  Your  honour,  he  don't  be- 
lieve a  word  of  it;  and  that's  why  he  don't 
answer  you." 

"  Not  believe  what  ?" 

"  He  don't  believe  in  God,  sir :  he's  a  So- 
cialist." 

"  But,"  said  Mr.  Seymour,  who  shuddered 
on  hearing  the  word,  "  his  disbelieving  in  the 
Divine  Power  will  not  save  him  from  its  ter- 
rible weight,  any  more  than  his  denying  that  he 
is  now  bound  would  set  his  hands  at  liberty." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  nothing  about  that,  sir : 
it  may  be  or  it  mayn't ;  but  Jem's  got  all  the 
arguments  by  heart,  and  a  power  of  books  to 
prove  the  Bible  aint  true." 


100  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  Unhappy  being  !"  said  Mr.  Seymour, 
looking  with  mingled  horror  and  compassioa 
on  the  young  culprit,  "  have  you  ever  read  that 
blessed  Book,  whose  truth  you  deny  ?" 

Martin  carelessly  replied,  "No;"  and  af- 
ter some  fruitless  attempts  on  the  part  of  Mr» 
Seymour  and  the  Tutor  to  awaken  him  to  a 
sense  of  his  dreadful  condition,  and  some  very 
earnest  exhortations  to  the  other,  who  listened 
with  apparent  respect  to  them,  the  gentlemen 
departed. 

As  they  walked  home,  Edward  inquired 
about  the  prisoners,  and  asked  his  father, 
«  What  is  a  Socialist  ?" 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  answer  you,  my 
dear  boy.  The  character  is  so  very  dreadful, 
that  it  seems  almost  sinful  to  speak  of  it.  How- 
ever, I  must  tell  you,  that  Socialism  is  the 
breaking  of  every  command  that  God  has  given ; 
the  rending  asunder  every  tie  that  God  has 
formed.  The  Socialist  owns  no  monarch,  no- 
country,  no  home  or  parent,  no  wife  or  child^ 


IJANGERS  AND  DUTIES.  101 

no  brother,  sister,  or  friend ;  and,  as  you  paay 
suppose,  the  root  of  this  monstrous  and  hor- 
rible system  is,  that  he  beHeves,  or  says  he  be- 
lieves, there  is  no  God." 

"What  a  frightful  picture,  Papa!  but  I 
don't  understand  it.  How  can  a  person  man- 
age to  have  no  parents,  or  other  relations?" 

"Their  detestable  principle,"  replied  Mr. 
Seymour,  "  is  to  reduce  men  as  nearly  as  possi- 
ble to  the  condition  of  the  brutes,  though  among 
all  beasts  of  the  earth  I  know  of  none,  and 
among  all  birds  only  the  ostrich,  that  resem- 
ble them.  Their  project  is  to  take  children 
from  their  parents  in  the  earliest  stage  of  infancy, 
and  to  bring  them  all  up  together,  without  the 
knowledge  of  any  relationship;  to  level  all 
ranks,  equalize  all  property,  do  away  with  mar- 
riage, and  utterly  abolish  the  very  name  of  re- 
ligion from  off  the  whole  earth ;  denying  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  scoffing  at  the  exist- 
ence of  a  God." 

"  Now,  Papa,"  said  Frank,  "  if  I  did  not 
9* 


102  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES, 

know  you  always  speak  truth  I  should  not  be 
able  to  believe  this,  it  is  so  horrid." 

"  It  is  but  a  part  of  the  horrors  of  this  awful 
delusion  of  Satan.  Tongue  cannot  speak,  nor 
heart  conceive  the  depth  of  wickedness  that 
prevails  among  them." 

"  But  surely,  sir,"  said  Tom,  "  they  must  be 
a  very  small  party  indeed  ;  I  should  not  sup- 
pose there  were  a  hundred  people  in  all  En- 
gland wicked  enough  or  mad  enough  to  belong 
to  such  a  set." 

"  My  dear  young  friend,  there  are  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands ;  and  if  we  may  credit 
their  own  statement  there  are  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands, openly  or  secretly  holding  these  diaboli- 
cal doctrines.  We  do  not  know  the  power  of 
Satan,  where  God  in  any  measure  removes  the 
restraint  laid  upon  him.  Secure  of  souls,  if  only 
they  reject  or  neglect  the  salvation  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus,  this  great  enemy  is  content  to 
gather  them  in  separately  to  his  dark  kingdom,, 
without  noise  or  show  :  but  when  it  suits  liim 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  103 

to  lead  his  captives  into  open,  daring  rebellion 
against  God's  sovereignty,  the  lengths  to  which 
he  makes  them  go  are  fearful  indeed !  And  in 
our  day  he  seems  to  be  exhibiting  his  hideous- 
ness  in  them,  beyond  what  former  times  have 
witnessed."  ,  . 

"  These  are  indeed  then  the  *  perilous 
times '  we  were  talking  of,  Papa,"  said  Edward. 
"  Nothing  described  in  the  Bible  is  so  very  bad 
as  this;  it  frightens  me  to  think  of  it;  and  to 
think  we  have  really  to-day  been  looking  on 
one  so  far  gone  in  wickedness." 

"  It  cuts  me  to  the  quick,"  observed  Taylor, 
"  to  remember  my  first  meeting  with  him :  per- 
haps if,  instead  of  resenting  his  impertinence  I 
had  spoken  mildly,  it  would  have  softened  his 
bad  feelings,  and  not  only  all  these  distressing 
things  would  have  been  prevented,  but  he  might 
have  been  brought  to  listen  to  some  good  coun- 
sel, such  as  you,  Edward,  or  you,  Tom,  could 
have  given  him.  Oh,  I  am  sadly  to  blame  in 
this,  and  very  sinful !" 


104  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  My  dear  boy,"  said  Mr.  Wright,  "  we  all 
have  daily  cause  to  join  in  the  humble  and 
humbling  confession  of  not  only  having  done 
those  things  which  we  ought  not  to  have  done, 
but  having  also  left  undone  those  things  which 
we  ought  to  have  done.  The  error  that  you 
now  so  deeply  feel  arose,  as  all  transgression 
does,  from  a  neglect  of  God's  commands.  He 
has  said,  '  Be  pitiful ;  be  courteous  :'  W'e  are 
taught  by  the  rules  of  polished  society  to  be 
courteous  to  our  superiors  and  equals,  and  we 
generally  consider  it  becoming  to  be  pitiful  to 
those  much  below  us  in  rank  :  but  the  Spirit  of 
God  alone  can  teach  us  to  exercise  both  these 
graces  towards  all  classes.  The  unawakened 
who  wears  a  ducal  coronet  is  truly  an  object  of 
the  Christian's  pity.  The  famished  beggar  who 
crosses  his  path,  and  the  insolent  reviler,  who 
insults  him  without  cause,  are  alike  entitled  to 
his  courtesy — entitled,  not  by  any  right  of  their 
own,  but  because  God  has  awarded  it  to  them. 
Had  this  been  uppermost  in  your  thoughts,  you 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  105 

would  not  now  have  had  such  cause  of  self-re- 
proach." 

"There  is  another  word,"  added  Mr.  Sey- 
mour, "  which  appears  to  be  almost  universally 
overlooked :  — '  Honour  all  men.'  I  often  think 
what  a  wonderful  change  would  come  over 
society  if  that  precept  were  duly  considered." 

"  But  surely,  Papa,"  said  Edward,  "  you 
would  not  honour  a  Socialist  V 

"  In  one  sense,  Edward,  I  should.  The 
Bible  tells  us  concerning  the  creation  of  man- 
kind, '  In  the  image  of  God  made  he  them  :' 
and  again,  when  Noah  and  his  family  stood 
alone  upon  earth's  surface  after  the  flood,  and 
received  a  law  from  the  Almighty  God,  part  of 
which  was  to  denounce  death  against  the  being, 
whether  man  or  beast,  who  should  shed  man's 
blood,  the  Lord's  care  over  our  lives  was  ex- 
plained by  repeating  the  same  expression, '  For 
in  the  image  of  God  made  he  man.'  This  divine 
'  image,'  this  spiritual  '  likeness'  of  the  Most 
High  was  wholly  lost  when  Adam,  by  sinning, 


106  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

became  the  servant  of  Satan :  but  the  eternal 
purpose  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  had  provided  a 
remedy,  and  His  people,  as  temples  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  whom  the  Lord  God  Almighty  has  de- 
clared that  he  will  dwell,  as  you  may  see  in 
many  parts  of  Scripture,  especially  in  the  sixth 
chapter  of  the  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
are  undoubtedly  entitled  to  honour  for  His  sake 
who  lives  in  them." 

"  To  which  we  may  add,"  said  Mr.  Wright, 
"  that  the  nature  of  man  became  ennobled  in  no 
common  degree  by  the  act  of  our  Lord  and  Sa- 
viour, the  Eternal  Son, '  The  mighty  God,  the 
everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace,'  vouch- 
safing to  take  it  on  himself.  In  the  form  of  man, 
God  has  deigned  to  appear  among  men, '  seen  of 
angels'  as  God  manifest  in  the  flesh :  and  even 
the  wretched  Socialist,  who,  in  the  madness  of  his 
guilt,  denies  God,  is  entitled  to  a  share  of  that 
*  honour'  decreed  to  '  all  men.'  I  would  not  dare 
to  revile  any  human  being,  Edward.  I  would 
not  say '  Raca'  to  a  brother  of  my  nature,  how- 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIKS.  107 

ever  far  he  might  be  from  the  brotherhood  of 
faith.  The  divine  command  is  sufficient  in  itself 
to  restrain  me  ;  but,  by  God's  grace,  my  reason 
also  admits  the  propriety,  the  beauty  of  such  re- 
straint ;  and  so  far  from  finding  the  command- 
ment grievous  I  bless  the  Lord  for  it,  while  ask- 
ing from  him  a  heart  to  obey  his  gracious 
law." 

"  Oh,  sir,"  said  Phihp,  "  every  word  spoken 
to-day  seems,  somehow,  to  concern  me,  and  to 
reprove  me.  I  had  no  idea  how  wicked  I  was ; 
indeed,  I  thought  myself  really  good,  and  now 
I  do  think  the  few  years  of  my  life  have  all  been 
spent  in  breaking  God's  righteous  laws."  He 
turned  his  head  away,  and  the  two  gentlemen 
looked  at  each  other,  while  Tom  affectionately 
put  his  arm  through  Phil's,  and  said, "  I  have 
long  ago  found  that  to  be  my  case ;  and  if"  I  did 
not  know  that  the  Lord  Jesus  had  satisfied  for 
me  the  demands  of  the  law  which  I  am  always 
breaking,  I  should  indeed  be  a  miserable  crea- 
ture." 


108  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

"  I'm  sure,  Tom,"  replied  the  other,  "no- 
body but  yourself  would  accuse  you  of  disobe- 
dience.    You  are  a  pattern  to  us  all." 

"  You  only  see  the  outside  of  me,"  said 
Tom.  "  To  be  sure  1  avoid  doing  things  openly, 
and  knowingly,  and  wilfully,  that  I  am  sure  are 
wrong — if  I  loved  sinful  ways,  I  could  not  hope 
or  believe  that  Christ  would  own  me :  but  for 
all  you  may  think  of  ray  being  better  than  oth- 
ers, I  know  myself  to  be  worse.  I  compare 
myself  not  with  those  who  are  ignorant  of 
God's  laws,  but  with  the  law  itself,  by  which 
I  must  be  judged.  And,  Phil,  the  reason  you 
feel  so  self-condemned  to-day  is  just  that  God 
has  given  you  grace  to  do  the  same  thing,  and 
what  a  blessing  that  is  !" 

"  A  blessing  indeed,  my  dear  boy,"  said 
Mr.  Seymour :  "  and  a  blessing  too  to  last  for 
ever  and  ever.  Pray  that  such  feeling  as  you 
describe  may  remain  on  your  mind,  and  that  in- 
stead of  seeking  to  banish  the  uneasiness  it  now 
occasions  by  driving  away  such  thoughts,  you 


DANGERS    AND    DUTIES.  109 

may  be  led  by  them  to  search  and  try  your  ways, 
and  to  bring  the  whole  burden  of  this  newly- 
discovered  sin  to  your  compassionate  Redeemer, 
who  will  assure  you  of  the  pardon  purchased 
by  his  blood ;  and  give  you  grace  to  walk  in 
newness  of  life  j  and  bestow  on  you  such  peace 
as  the  world  cannot  give." 

Edward  and  Frank  were  very  glad  to  hear 
Phil  speak  as  he  did :  they  had  not  made  such 
advance  in  knowledge  of  themselves  and  of 
their  Saviour  as  Tom,  who  had  been  much  tried 
by  the  afflictions  of  his  dear  mother,  and  effect- 
ually taught  by  her  example :  but  they  knew 
very  well  what  true  piety  was,  and  how  happy 
it  made  all  who  possessed  it,  and  they  rejoiced 
to  think  that  Phil,  of  whom  they  were  very  fond, 
would  become  a  valuable  friend  to  them.  After 
a  little  time,  Frank  said,  "  Papa,  I  can't  help 
thinking  that  a  Socialist  must  be  not  only  wicked 
but  downright  mad." 

"  All  wickedness  is  madness,"  replied  Mr. 
Seymour.  "  The  use  of  our  reason  is  to  disco- 
10 


110  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

ver  and  to  follow  what  is  for  our  advantage, 
and  to  shun  what  would  injure  us.  A  little 
child  will  go  and  put  his  hands  on  the  hot  bars 
of  a  grate,  and  if  you  saw  him  you  would  easily 
account  for  it  by  saying  he  was  not  yet  able  to 
reason  ;  but  if  a  man  did  the  same  thing,  you 
would  say  at  once  he  had  lost  his  reason,  or  was 
mad.  Suppose  you  found  a  man  throwing  all 
his  money  into  the  sea,  or  making,  as  we  say, 
ducks  and  drakes  of  it,  on  a  deep  river,  and 
carefully  putting  into  his  purse  the  pebbles  and 
straws  that  lay  at  his  feet ;  what  would  you 
think  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  should  think  he  had  got  loose  out 
of  Bedlam." 

"  But  if,  in  addition  to  this,  you  saw  him 
persuading  others  to  jump  down  a  precipice 
into  deep  water,  where  they  were  sure  to  be 
drowned,  what  would  you  say  then  V 

"  Then,  Papa,  I  should  say  he  was  a  dan- 
g'Crous  madman  ;  and  I  should  call  some  strong 
men  to  take  him  and  put  him  into  confine- 
ment." 


DANGERS    AND   DUTIES.  Ill 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  Edward  ;  "  and  I  only 
wonder  the  Government  does  not  take  up  the 
Sociahsts,  and  stop  their  mischief.  Surely  they 
must  be  bad,  disloyal  subjects,  Papa." 

"  Certainly  :  they  are  those  who  most  es- 
pecially '  despise  government,'  as  St.  Jude 
says  :  but  if  by  taking  up  you  mean  arresting 
and  imprisoning  them,  that  cannot  be  done. 
The  enemy  sows  his  tares  among  the  wheat, 
and  both  must  grow  together  until  the  harvest.^  ^ 
We  have  no  laws  to  prevent  the  spread  of  un- 
godliness." 

"  Then  they  should  make  some,"  observed 
Edward. 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  remarked  Mr.  Wright. 
"  Our  laws  as  they  stand  are  excellent,  but 
with  the  help  of  the  Bible  some  valuable  addi- 
tions might  be  made  to  them.  Meanwhile,  as 
neither  you  nor  I  possess  the  power  of  law-ma- 
king, we  must  be  doubly  watchful  in  guarding 
ourselves  and  warning  others  against  the  evi 
that  is  in  the  world.     We  may  do  more  good 


112  DANGERS    AND    DUTIES. 

than  could  be  done  by  acts  of  parliament,  so  far 
as  our  own  influence  extends ;  for  the  best  of 
human  laws  can  only  affect  men's  outward 
conduct,  and  supply  them  with  motives  based 
on  selfishness  ;  whereas  we,  by  bringing  them 
to  God's  perfect  standard,  and  showing  them 
the  evil,  not  only  of  their  lives  but  their  hearts, 
and  pointing  out  the  terrors  not  of  mere  tempo- 
ral, but  of  eternal  punishment  and  loss,  may  be 
the  happy  means  of  so  leading  our  fellow-sin- 
ners to  seek  the  gift  of  true  repentance  to  the 
acknowledging  of  the  truth  ;  that  they  may  re- 
cover themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil, 
by  whom  they  are  led  captive  at  his  will." 

Mr.  Seymour  said,  "  Nothing  half  so  bad  as 
Socialism  was  ever  yet  seen  in  the  w'orld,  as  re- 
spects its  outward  and  boastful  trampling  upon 
every  thing  moral  and  decent.  It  proves  the 
awful  state  of  the  world  when  in  a  country 
professedly  Christian,  and  possessing  Christian- 
ity in  its  only  real  form — for  Popery  has  the 
name  alone,  and  is  not  Christian  in  reality — 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  113 

when  in  such  a  country,  in  the   face  of  the 
Bible  and  of  the  preached  Gospel,  Socialism 
should  exist,  and  spread,  and  none  to  hinder  it,  or 
to  make  these  daring  blasphemers  afraid.  When 
Satan  has  such  power  given  him  ought  we  not  all 
to  tremble,  and  to  be  doubly  watchful,  lest  we  al- 
so become  the  prey  of  some  of  his  many  devices  V 
The  party  had  now  reached  home,  and  the 
boys  went  to  the  play-ground  to  enjoy  them- 
selves ;  after  which  Mr.  Seymour  showed  them 
his  collection  of  coins,  and  some  curious  objects 
of  natural  history,  explaining  them  in  a  very 
pleasing    and   instructive   manner.      The   old 
house-dog,  too  infirm  to  quit  the  premises,  re- 
ceived many  caresses  from  Phil,  who  listened 
with  great  interest  to  some  anecdotes  told  by 
the  gentlemen,  illustrative  of  the  strong   and 
faithful  attachment  of  that  noble  creature,  the 
Dog.     After  a  very  nice  visit,  Phil  was  prepar- 
ing to  take  leave,  when  his  father  arrived  with 
the  very  distressing  tidings  that  Clarke's  state 
was  suddenly  become  most  dangerous,  iuflatu- 
10* 


114  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES, 

mation  and  every  bad  symptom  had  appeared : 
and  the  alarm  of  his  friends  was  great. 

"  I  have  been  there,"  continued  Mr.  Tay- 
lor, "  but  did  not  see  the  boy  :  he  showed  some 
disposition  to  sleep,  and  that  was  the  only  good 
sign  about  him.  I  must  go  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, to  try  if  he  can  make  any  deposition,  sup- 
posing him  to  continue  in  such  danger.  "When 
I  informed  my  wife  she  earnestly  requested  me 
to  persuade  you  to  accompany  me,  hoping  you 
might,  as  a  religious  man,  do  some  good  in  that 
house  where,  to  be  sure,  there  is  a  great  want  of 
it.  Her  nerves  have  been  shaken  enough  ;  and 
I  was  glad  to  soothe  her  by  saying  you  certainly 
would  not  refuse." 

"  By  no  means,"  replied  Mr.  Seymour  :  "  I 
will  meet  you  there  willingly,  as  a  witness  to 
any  deposition  that  may  be  taken ;  and  as  a 
witness  also,  I  hope,  to  truths  that  alone  can 
benefit  the  dying,  or  yield  comfort  to  the  living 
mourner." 

Mr.  Taylor  thanked   him,  and  Phil  said, 


i^ 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  115 

"  Papa,  I  feel  how  very  much  I  have  been  to 
blame  in  all  this  :  indeed,  I  am  the  most  guilty ; 
first,  by  getting  into  a  squabble  with  that 
wretched,  ignorant  boy,  and  next,  by  conceal- 
ing from  you  what  poor  Clarke  was  about,  and 
which  you  would  have  prevented.  It  is  too 
late  now ;  and  two  lives  may  be  lost  through 
my  fault." 

"  Well,  my  boy,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  sen- 
sible of  it,  and  I  readily  forgive  you.  If  you 
passed  more  time  with  your  Mother,  and  listen- 
ed more  to  her  excellent  advice,  you  would  be 
a  gainer.  You  need  not  look  far  to  see  what 
listening  to  a  pious  mother  will  do  for  a  sensi- 
ble lad." 

Every  body  was  pleased  by  this  allusion  to 
Tom ;  and  though  Mr.  Taylor  mixed  up  more 
of  man's  doing  in  the  matter  than  was  right,  Mr. 
Seymour  rejoiced  that  he  could  so  understand 
and  value  his  wife's  excellence ;  and  hoped  he 
might  yet  be  one  of  those  men  whom  the  Apos- 
tle speaks  of  as  being '  won  by  the  conversation 


116  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

of  their  wives,'  to  seek  the  knowledge  of  GocL 
They  separated;  and  poor  Clarke  formed  the 
subject  of  much  conversation  and  prayer  that 
night.  Mr.  Seymour  was  to  be  at  the  house  by 
ten  o'clock  next  morning,  and  the  two  boys 
had  leave  to  walk  there  too,  and  remain  out- 
side, as  Phil  was  also  to  do.  Poor  young  Clarke 
was  a  favourite  with  no  one ;  and  the  generous 
boys  on  that  very  account  felt  the  more  for  his. 
miserable  situation. 


PART    V. 

All  was  very  still  about  the  Lodge,  as  Mr. 
Clarke's  elegant  place  was  called  :  Rover's  ill- 
tempered  bark  was  silenced  for  ever,  and  the 
other  dogs  had  been  taken  out  of  the  way. 
The  knocker  was  tied  up ;  the  bell-handle  fas- 
tened, and  all  proved  how  strict  were  the  pre- 
cautions against  disturbance.  As  they  passed 
up  the  avenue,  where  the  boys  were  to  stay, 
a  servant  came,  and  requested  them  to  go  round 
to  another  entrance,  as  he  said  the  parties  were 
in  a  distant  room  of  the  house.  Edward  and 
Frank  would  have  turned  back,  but  the  servant 
begged  they  would  not :  his  young  master  had 
been  calling  out  for  his  play-fellows,  and  Mr. 
Clarke  wished  them  to  be  at  hand. 


118  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

All  this  looked  very  alarming ;  and  when 
they  entered  the  room,  a  large  laundry,  they 
were  startled  to  see  the  wretched  lad,  Martin, 
and  his  fellow-prisoner,  sitting  on  a  bench,  well 
guarded,  while  Mr.  Clarke  was  earnestly  talk- 
ing to  the  magistrate,  and  one  or  two  other 
persons.  Phil  came  to  meet  his  friends,  and 
whispered,  "  He  is  very,  very  bad ;  we  are  wait- 
ing for  the  doctor  to  tell  us  what  to  do." 

Presently,  the  doctor  was  heard  at  the  door, 
speaking  loudly,  as  it  seemed,  to  let  them  know 
Mrs.  Clarke  was  with  him ;  and  then  they  heard 
her,  in  a  shrill,  agitated  voice,  insisting  upon 
going  in  also.  Mr.  Clarke  made  a  hurried 
sign  to  take  the  prisoners  out ;  and  Mr.  Taylor 
gave  another  sign  for  the  boys  to  follow  them  ; 
in  a  minute  Edward  and  Frank  found  them- 
selves shut  up  in  a  small  room  with  Phil,  and  the 
three  policemen,  and  their  charge.  They  trem- 
bled as  they  looked  on  the  Socialist — probably 
soon  to  be  tried  as  a  murderer — and  pressed 
close  together  j  but  Phil  went  up  to  him  and 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  119 

■said,  "  You  and  I  were  the  first  in  this  sad  bu- 
siness, to  begin  a  quarrel." 

"  Ay,"  grumbled  the  other,  "  and  now 
you've  the  ups  on  it  and  I  the  downs." 

"  We  were  both  very  wrong,"  said  Phil, 
*'  and  I  believe  I  was  the  most  so ;  for  I  ought 
to  have  set  you  a  good  example  instead  of  re- 
turning your  rudeness  as  I  did." 

Martin  grinned  at  him,  in  a  way  so  like  his 
look  when  inviting  them  to  ask  his  leave  on 
their  knees  to  pass  the  stile,  that  it  made  Phil 
colour.  The  other  said, "  For  shame  of  you  to 
be  so  unmannerly  to  the  gentleman  that's  speak- 
ing so  kindly  to  you !"  "  I  ax  your  pardon,  sir,  for 
sticking  your  dog :  I  did  it  to  save  the  life  of  that 
fellow,  what's  got  neither  gratitude  nor  feeling 
in  him.     The  dog  was  worth  ten  such  as  he." 

"  My  dog,"  said  Phil,  "  was  indeed  worth 
'  ten  of  his  own  kind  j  but  all  the  dogs  that  ever 
existed  are  of  no  worth  compared  with  one  im- 
mortal soul,  which  must  live  to  all  eternity,  and 
be  happy  or  miserable  for  ever." 


120  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Here  one  of  the  policemen  gave  a  nod  to 
the  others,  that  showed  how  heartily  he  agreed 
in  this  :  Phil  saw  it,  and  felt  encouraged  to  go 
on. 

"  Martin,  God  only  knows  what  your  fate 
may  be,  but  whatever  it  is  you  are  living  in  sin, 
and  in  sin  you  will  die,  sooner  or  later,  if  you 
don't  come  to  Jesus  Christ  for  pardon.  He  is 
ready  to  forgive  you,  and  able  to  give  you  a 
new  heart,  and  to  snatch  you  from  destruction." 

Martin  was  evidently  going  to  make  an  in- 
solent and  scoffing  reply,  when  the  policeman, 
seizing  him  by  the  shoulder,  said,  "  I'll  tell  you 
what,  sir,  if  you  dare  to  speak  a  word  of  your 
vile  blasphemy  before  these  young  lads,  I'll  let 
you  know  there's  law  against  it." 

The  young  fellow  looked  up  insolently,  but 
could  not  stand  the  officer's  stern  gaze:  he 
dropped  his  eyes,  and  what  he  muttered  could 
not  be  understood. 

"  Now,  sir,  go  on,"  said  the  policeman  to 
Phil,  "  though  I  fear  you  are  casting  pearls  be- 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  121 

fore  swine.  But  good  must  be  done  somewhere 
by  it,  and  good  will  come  to  yourself;  for  he 
that  watereth  shall  himself  also  be  w^atered." 

"  I  have  very  little  to  say,"  answered  Phil, 
looking  down :  "  I  only  know  that  I  have  been 
wrong  myself  in  the  matter,  and  that  it  is  great 
comfort  to  me  to  be  told  that  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  I  wish  these 
poor  fellows  to  know  it  too  ;  and  I  want  them 
to  know  that  there  is  no  middle  way ;  for  God, 
who  has  declared  '  He  that  confesseth  and  for- 
saketh  his  sin  shall  find  mercy,'  also  says, '  Ex- 
cept ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.' 
The  Lord  Jesus  says, '  He  that  believeth  in  me 
hath  everlasting  life ;'  and  he  says  too, '  He  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned.'  These  are 
awful  words,  and  spoken  by  Him  who  cannot 
lie." 

"  And  we  can  have]no  reason  for  telling  you 
of  it,"  said  Edward, "  except  that  as  we  know  it 
its  true  we  would  bring  you  to  Him  who  alone 
can  save  your  souls." 

H 


122  DANGERS   AND    DUTIES. 

Martin  said  nothing,  nor  did  he  look  up. 
The  policeman's  hand  was  still  on  his  shoulder, 
and  seemed  to  keep  him  in  check.  There  was 
a  short  silence,  and  then  the  door  was  opened, 
and  they  were  called  again  into  the  large  room, 
and  the  boys  went  with  their  fathers  and  Mr. 
Seymour  intothe  dining-room,  where  Mr.  Tay- 
lor and  Mr.  Clarke  left  them  to  go  to  the  sick 
boy.  When  they  were  gone,  Mr.  Seymour  said, 
"  I  am  very  much  afraid  your  poor  young  friend 
will  die;  the  doctor  evidently  thinks  so;  and 
the  danger  is  rendered  greater  by  his  afflicted 
mother,  who  not  having  learned  to  cast  all  her 
care  upon  Him  who  tenderly  careth  for  us,  finds 
the  burden  too  great  for  her.  She  can  neither 
be  kept  from  him  nor  be  persuaded  to  act  judi- 
ciously in  his  presence.  How  much  she  claims 
our  sympathy  and  prayers!  That  alone  can 
rightly  control  the  mind,  and  regulate  the  feel- 
ings, which  shows  us  the  hand  of  a  wise  and 
loving  Father  in  every  dispensation.  I  would 
not  speak  of  poor  Mrs.  Clarke's  weakness,  but 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  123 

that  I  must  prepare  you  for  something  of  the 
khid." 

"  Are  we  going  to  see  Clarke,  Papa  ?" 
asked  Frank,  rather  alarmed. 

"  I  beheve  so  :  he  was  calling  out,  as  the 
servant  said,  for  you  all ;  and  though  it  was 
plainly  in  delirium  he  did  it,  his  poor  mother 
will  not  believe  so,  and  insists  on  his  being  in- 
dulged, if  he  asks  for  you  again.  In  your  earth- 
ly pilgrimage,  my  dear  boys,  you  must  encoun- 
ter many  painfully  distressing  scenes  ;  and  I  fear 
there  is  one  now  about  to  be  presented  that  will 
grieve  and  shock  you.  May  it  be  blessed  to 
your  souls,  in  showing  you  not  only  the  uncer- 
tainty of  human  life,  but  the  utter  worthlessness 
of  all  that  the  world  can  give  to  afford  help  or 
to  impart  comfort  in  that  hour  which  awaits 
the  children  of  men  !" 

Mr.  Seymour  was  indeed  much  troubled  at 
finding  he  must  probably  expose  them  to  the 
dreadful  spectacle  that  the  surgeon  had  led 
him  to  expect;  but  this  was   preferable,  he 


124  DANGERS   AND  DUTIES. 

thought,  to  denying  the  distracted  mother  what 
she  vainly  fancied  would  soothe,  and  by  that 
means  perhaps  save  her  dying  child.  Mr.  Tay- 
lor agreed  with  him ;  and  within  a  few  min- 
utes after  this  preparation,  they  were  called  by 
Mr.  Clarke  to  accompany  him  up  stairs. 

It  was  a  beautiful  room  that  they  were  led 
into :  every  thing  that  luxury  could  desire  and 
wealth  supply  was  there.  The  hangings,  car- 
peting, pier-glasses,  and  in  short  all  the  furni- 
ture, were  of  a  very  costly  description  ;  and  a 
canopied  bed,  carved,  gilded,  and  hung  with  the 
most  showy  drapery  seemed  almost  to  mock, 
by  its  contrast,  the  ghastly  object  that  reclined 
on  its  fringed  pillows.  Mrs.  Clarke  had  insist- 
ed on  his  being  placed  in  this  apartment,  be- 
cause, as  a  child,  he  had  called  it  "  the  pretty 
room ; "  and  more  lately  had  been  proud  of  its 
expensive  beauty.  Poor  woman  !  she  thought 
such  toys  would  have  power  to  soothe  the  pain, 
and  to  amuse  the  mind  of  a  dying  sinner.  Not 
that  she  believed  him  to  be  a  sinner — she  had 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  125 

dismissed  a  pious  nurse  the  day  before  for  trying 
to  comfort  her  by  the  assurance  that  his  sins 
could  be  washed  away  in  the  blood  of  the  cross. 
"  Sins  !  what  sins  has  a  young  creature  like  that 
committed  1  So  innocent  and  good  as  he  is, 
do  you  suppose  he  could  go  anywhere  but  to 
heaven  ?"  said  the  lady  indignantly ;  and  then, 
after  a  fit  of  hysterics,  she  insisted  on  the  wo- 
man leaving  the  house,  that  she  might  not 
agitate  the  dear  boy's  mind  by  such  crazy  talk. 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  splendour  that  we 
have  described,  Clarke  lay  writhing  with  pain 
and  fever.  His  head  was  dreadfully  swollen, 
and  the  discolouration  had  spread  to  his  face, 
which  was  red  and  purple,  and  every  feature 
seemed  distorted.  From  the  leech-bites  that 
covered  his  temples  the  blood  still  trickled, 
and  added  to  the  dreadful  alteration  of  his  coun- 
tenance. He  had  just  overheard  his  mother  be- 
wailing his  frightful  appearance,  and  was  in  a 
violent  rage  at  being  refused  a  looking-glass  to 
examine  it  himself.  When  the  party  entered, 
11* 


126  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

Mrs.  Clarke,  to  direct  his  attention,  cried  out, 
"  Here  they  are  !  they  are  all  come  :"  on  which 
the  boy  set  up  a  scream,  and  exclaimed,  "They 
shan't  have  me !" 

"  There's  an  end  of  it,"  whispered  the  sur- 
geon to  Mr.  Taylor :  "  I  knew  she  would  set 
him  oflf  aga'm,  with  her  foolish  agitating  ways. 
Now  you  will  get  nothing  from  him  but  rav- 
ings, probably  to  the  end." 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Clarke  was  arguing  that 
his  young  friends  the  Seymours  and  Taylor  could 
not  possibly  mean  him  any  harm  :  that  he  had 
been  asking  for  them  continually ;  and  that  since 
they  saved  his  life  he  should  welcome  them 
kindly. 

"Particularly  Master  Taylor,''  she  added, 
"  for  you  know  his  nice  dog  was  killed  for  pro- 
tecting you." 

"  Dog,  dog !"  repeated  Clarke, "  let  me  hang 
him  up.  I  beat  him  well  when  he  was  a  pup- 
py, and  now  he  does  not  care  for  a  beating  ; 
but  I'll  hang  him,  I  will." 


DANGERS   AND    DUTIES.  127 

"  My  dear  child,  Rover  is  dead ;  but  ycu 
shall  hang  the  pointers  if  you  like,"  winking  at 
the  rest,  to  humour  him. 

"  Taylor,  where's  Phil  Taylor  ?"  cried 
Clarke  impatiently  ;  and  Philip  immediately 
stepped  softly  up,  attempting  to  take  his  hand. 

"  Stand  off !  PU  not  be  knocked  down  by 
a  vagabond  like  you.     I  want  Phil  Taylor ;  I 

want "  and  then  he  ran  over  several  names, 

among  which  were  the  Seymours,  who  then 
approached  him,  but  he  swore  at  them,  and  they 
shrank  back,  horror-struck  at  his  language. 
He  knew  nobody  now  ;  and  went  on  talking  in 
a  way  that  showed  so  much  cruelty  and  vicious- 
ness  of  disposition  that  his  father  at  last  walked 
away  from  the  bedside  in  tears,  saying,  "  I  wish 
he  had  never  been  born,  or  that  he  had  been 
better  looked  after." 

"  You  must  not  mind  him,"  said  the  sur- 
geon :  "  he  is  not  accountable  for  any  thing  he 
says  just  now.     He  is  fairly  raving." 

But  Mr.  Clarke  seemed  to  feel  that  things 


128  DANGERS  AND   DUTIES. 

were  brought  forth,  though  unconsciously,  from 
an  evil  treasure  within  ;  he  shook  his  head,  and 
leaning  it  against  the  sculptured  mantel-piece, 
remained  very  miserable.  Mr.  Taylor  whisper- 
ed to  the  surgeon,  "  I  see  no  use  in  our  remain- 
ing here  :  any  deposition  seems  out  of  the  ques- 
tion." 

"  Entirely  so  ;  and  as  to  identifying,  if  he 
could  recognize  the  fellow,  the  sight  would  kill 
him  now." 

"  Then  I  shall  go,  and  at  once  despatch  them 
both  to  jail,  on  the  strength  of  your  certificate." 

The  surgeon  nodded ;  and  having  accompa- 
nied them  to  the  door,  quite  out  of  the  hearing 
of  the  family,  he  said  in  a  decided  manner,  "  I 
can  certify  you  that  the  case  is  hopeless :  he 
must  die." 

With  heavy  hearts  the  visitors  departed, — 
Mr.  Taylor  going  to  make  out  the  commitment, 
and  Phil  accompanying  his  friends  towards  their 
home.  It  was  long  before  a  single  word  was 
uttered  ;  and  Frank  spoke  first :  *'  I  am  afraid 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  129 

there's  nobody  to  speak  to  poor  Clarke  what 
Phil  spoke  to  his  murderer  this  morning." 

Mr.  Seymour  looked  surprised,  and  Edward 
repeated  what  had  passed  in  the  little  room ;  at 
which  his  father  expressed  great  thankfulness, 
saying,  "I  do  hope,  and  confidently  believe, 
that  some  good  will  result  from  it ;  besides  the 
satisfaction  our  young  friend  must  feel  in  having 
openly  pointed  out  the  way  of  salvation  to  a 
fellow-creature  in  such  awful  circumstances." 

"  Oh,  sir ;"  said  Phil,  who  could  not  restrain 
his  tears, "  I  feel  so  guilty  in  the  whole  matter, 
it  seems  as  if  1  had  to  answer  for  every  thing. 
Being  the  first  in  the  former  quarrel  at  the  stile, 
I  was  the  more  bound  to  prevent  the  mischief 
that  followed.  I  knew  I  ought  to  have  told 
Papa,  but  I  had  given  a  promise,  and  could  not 
bear  to  act  dishonourably." 

"  I  do  not  wish,"  said  Mr.  Seymour,  "  to 
make  you  appear  to  yourself  less  blamable 
than  you  are :  but  to  satisfy  your  mind  on  this 
point  I  will  tell  you  that  your  negligence  did 


130  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

not  prevent  the  warning  from  being  given. 
Mr.  Wright  informed  your  father,  as  soon  as 
you  could  have  done  it ;  and  the  police  would 
have  been  on  the  spot  in  time  to  prevent  mis- 
chief, only  for  a  mistake  that  occurred  through 
the  stopping  of  a  watch." 

"  There,  Phil,"  said  Edward,  "  are  you  not 
glad  of  that?" 

"  Yes ;  very  glad  :  however,  though  it  proves 
my  not  doing  my  duty  was  not  the  cause  of 
what  followed,  I  am  not  a  bit  less  sinful  in  hav- 
ing neglected  that  duty." 

"I  admit  it,"  said  Mr.  Seymour.  "You 
spoke  of  being  dishonourable  :  now  there  are 
few  things  in  the  world  more  contrary  to  god- 
liness than  the,  prevailing  notions  of  honour.  A 
promise  ought  to  be  kept,  I  know ;  but  then  the 
Christian  will  be  most  careful  never  to  give  a 
promise  unless  he  is  quite  sure  that  the  obser- 
vance of  it  cannot  lead  him  to  any  neglect  of 
duty  nor  other  wrong  thing.  It  is  not  by  strictly 
keeping  promises,  but  by  rashly  making  them, 


DANGERS  AND   DUTIES.  131 

that  we  involve  ourselves  and  others  in  sin  and 
trouble.  A  good  man  will  guide  not  only  his 
affairs  but  his  words  with  discretion.  Bear  this 
in  mind,  my  dear  boys ;  and  before  you  pledge 
yourselves  to  any  line  of  conduct,  or  become 
parties  in  any  undertaking,  consider  well  what 
its  character  is,  viewed  in  the  light  of  God's  holy 
word." 

"  I  really  think  Tom  does  that,"  observed 
Edward  ;  "  he  never  says  '  yes'  hastily  to  any 
thing ;  and  when  he  refuses  to  do  what  is  ask- 
ed, he  always  gives  a  reason  that  shows  he  is 
thinking  of  his  duty  more  than  any  thing  else." 

"  He  did  so  about  the  boat,  that  unhappy 
evening,"  said  Taylor ;  "  and  you  may  remem- 
ber the  argument  we  had  on  the  subject.  You 
did  not  say  much,  but  what  you  did  speak  had 
more  effect  on  me  than  you  think.  I  believe  it 
prevented  my  joining  Clarke's  party  by  making 
me  more  mindful  of  my  duty  to  my  parents, 
who  would  so  very  much  have  disapproved  of  it : 
and  then  your  great  kindness  to  me  about  poor 


132  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Caesar's  death  set  me  upon  thinking  how  plea- 
sant it  is  to  have  tender  hearts,  which  1  am  sure 
nobody  can  have  who  goes  on  purposely  in  sin. 
Oh,  sir,  how  sad  it  was  to  hear  poor  Clarke 
boasting  of  his  cruelty  when  raving  as  he  did  ; 
I  would  gladly  have  thought  it  was  only  raving! 
but  I  know  too  well  it  was  all  true." 

"  I  fear  so  :  he  spoiled  his  dog's  temper  by 
cruel,  tyrannical  usage  of  him  when  young,  and 
you  see  he  lost  all  control  over  him  by  it.  The 
animal  was  sure  of  a  beating,  do  what  he 
would  ;  and  instinct  led  him  to  gratify  himself 
while  he  had  the  opportunity.  Had  he  been 
like  your  noble  Caesar,  affectionate  and  obedient, 
he  would  not  have  left  his  post;  and  no  man 
would  have  dared,  without  firearms,  to  attack 
his  master,  so  guarded.  Were  you  ever  cruel 
to  Caesar? 

"  No,  sir,  never  :  but  I  was  kind  to  him  more 
because  I  thought  it  mean  and  unmanly  to  hurt 
a  poor  dog,  than  that  I  feared  offending  God  by 
oppressing  his  creature." 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  133 

"Cruelty  to  animals  is  a  grievous  sin,"  said 
Mr.  Seymour.  "  I  believe  when  all  God's  deal- 
ings are  made  manifest  to  us,  as  they  will  be 
hereafter,  that  vengeance  will  be  found  to  have 
followed  that  crime,  in  every  instance,  most 
strictly,  except  where  it  was  truly  repented  of 
and  forsaken.  We  see  little  of  it  now ;  but 
depend  on  it  justice  overtakes  every  one  who 
abuses  the  authority  with  which  the  Lord  has 
intrusted  him  over  the  work  of  his  hands." 

"  Bad  as  it  was  to  hear  Clarke  talk  so," 
said  Edward,  "  it  shocked  me  more  when  his 
mother,  not  being  delirious  like  him,  put  it  into 
his  head  to  hang  the  poor  innocent  pointers. 
Suppose  he  had  insisted  on  doing  it,  I  am  sure 
Mrs.  Clarke  would  have  ordered  them  up  to  be 
hanged  before  our  faces." 

Mr.  Seymour  shook  his  head  :  "  Many  allow- 
ances must  be  made  for  a  mother's  distressed 
feelings.  However,  I  found  a  profitable  lesson 
for  myself  in  what  you  have  noticed ;  and  I 


12 


134  DANGERS    AND    DUTIES. 

trust  I  shall  always  be  resolute  not  to  encourage 
or  indulge  you  in  any  thing  that  is  wrong." 

"  Here  comes  Mr. Wright,"  cried  Frank.  "  I 
hope  we  are  wiser  now  than  when  we  talked  of 
rebelling  against  him  ;  and  only  obeyed  Papa 
because  we  considered  him  reasonable  and 
kind." 

Mr.  Wright  listened  with  great  concern  to 
the  history  of  their  morning's  work :  he  grieved 
for  Clarke,  and  asked  Mr.  Seymour  if  he  thought 
a  charge  of  murder  could  be  sustained  against 
Martin.  Mr.  Seymour  thought  not :  the  prov- 
ocation given,  and  the  fact  that  the  party  went 
out  on  purpose  to  look  for  him  and  to  attack 
him,  would  go  far  to  divest  the  case  of  that 
character.  He  did  not  at  all  suppose  Martin's 
life  to  be  in  any  danger,  but  thought  they  would 
punish  him  as  severely  as  possible.  "  There 
is  no  crime  that  a  Socialist  may  not  commit, 
consistently  with  his  own  principles,"  said  Mr. 
Seymour  :  "  for  as  he  rejects  the  being  of  God, 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  135 

he  cannot  of  course  own  his  authority,  and  is 
therefore  subject  to  no  government ;  nor  has 
he  any  law  but  his  own  will.  He  looks  on 
death  as  the  final  end  of  existence ;  and  if  he 
likes  to  run  the  hazard  of  it  for  any  present 
gratification  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  him. 
You  offend  a  Socialist ;  he  desires  revenge,  and 
by  exposing  himself  to  the  momentary  incon- 
venience of  suspension  from  a  gibbet,  he  can 
take  your  life  by  whatever  cruel  mode  he  might 
prefer.  On  this  principle  poor  Clarke  is  beaten 
to  death ;  and  by  this  rule  will  men's  lives  and 
properties  be  regarded  by  all  who  embrace  their 
abominable  principles." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Wright,  "  and  they  calcu- 
late on  making  all  men  embrace  them.  They 
see  how  man  struggles  against  the  rule  of  God, 
how  prone  he  is  to  all  evil,  how  willing  to  be 
deceived  ;  and  this  frightful  deception  setting 
him  at  liberty  at  once  from  every  law,  divine 
and  human,  giving  license  to  all  kinds  of  sin  in 
the  very  greatest  degree,  is  really  a  strong 


136  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

temptation  to  such  as  like  not  to  retain  God  in 
their  knowledpre.  Of  course,  these  seducers  do 
not  preach  their  horrible  abominations  all  at 
once ;  but  by  little  and  little,  and  in  various 
ways,  they  lead  the  youthful  mind  astray  from 
God,  until  it  is  ready  to  receive  the  full  dose  of 
poison  that  kills  the  soul  for  ever." 

"  And  therefore,  my  dear  boys,"  said  Mr. 
Seymour,  "  therefore  it  is  that  we  are  anxious 
to  place  you  on  one  secure  point  from  which 
you  must  watch  that  no  man  allure  or  drive  you. 
As  I  before  said,  our  stronghold  is  this  :  Christ 

IS   THE   HEAD   OVER   ALL    THINGS  TO    THE    CHURCH, 

WHICH  IS  HIS  BODY.  Cleavc  to  this,  and  you  are 
safe.  United  to  its  glorious  Head,  the  body 
lives  and  thrives;  separated  from  him  it  perishes : 
and  you,  as  members  of  the  body,  are  governed 
by  this  rule.  The  church  of  which  the  apostle 
speaks,  is  the  whole  company  of  true  believers 
who  hold  the  Head,  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
in  sincerity  and  obey  him  with  a  willing  mind  : 
who  have  no  hope  but  in  him,  seek  no  help  but 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  137 

from  him ;  own  his  kingship  as  the  source  of  all 
authority,  and  look  to  his  priesthood  as  having 
offered  the  one  only  all-sufficient  atonement 
for  their  sins.  '  Head  over  all  things  !'  Yes, 
belonging  to  him  all  things  are  yours :  loving 
him,  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  you. 
Satan  may  tempt  you  into  sin,  in  order  to  accuse 
you  before  God  ;  but  if  you  be  members  of  the 
body  whereof  He  is  the  head,  Satan  shall  not 
prevail.  '  If  God  be  for  us, who  can  be  against 
us  7'  You  cannnot  ask  help  of  him  and  be 
denied ;  for, '  He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son, 
but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he 
not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things'?' 
The  evil  spirit  who  first  brought  sin  into  the 
world,  and  who  still  '  worketh  in  the  children 
of  disobedience,'  may  bring  all  his  legions 
against  you ;  but,  if  Christ  be  acknowledged 
Head  over  all  things  to  you,  you  can  make  an- 
swer alike  to  his  temptations  and  his  accusa- 
tions, '  It  is  God  that  justifieth,  who  is  he  that 
condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ  that  died,  yea,  rather 
12* 


138  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

that  is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  who  also  maketh  intercession  for 
us.  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ  V  Oh,  my  children,  vast  are  the  depths 
of  that  love !" 

"Poor  Clarke!  poor  Clarke!"  said  Phil, 
hardly  able  to  speak, "  is  there  nobody  to  say 
these  precious  words  to  him  ?" 

"  He  has  often  heard  them  at  church,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Seymour ;  "  and  though  he  probably 
gave  no  heed  to  them  then,  remember  the  Holy 
Spirit  can  bring  them  now  to  his  remembrance, 
without  any  further  human  help :  and  we  will  all 
unite  in  most  earnest  ppayer  that  so  it  may  be." 

"  Let  us  walk  faster  then,"  exclaimed  the 
boys,  "  that  we  inay  get  home  the  sooner  to  do 
it." 

"We  are  doing  it  now,"  remarked  Mr. 
Wright,  "for  the  Lord  discerns  the  thoughts 
and  intents  of  the  heart,  and  he  sees  how  ours 
are  lifted  up  to  him  in  most  prayerful  desire, 
until  we  can  fall  down  on  our  knees  before  him 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  139 

and  give  utterance  to  the  prayer.  Now,  I  hum- 
bly hope,  '  The  Spirit  himself  maketh  interces- 
sion for  us  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  utter- 
ed.'    He  who  prompts  the  prayer  will  grant  it." 

Edward  looked  up  at  at  him  with  great 
affection,  and  said,  "  Oh,  sir,  how  could  we  ever 
wish  to  cast  off  the  authority  of  one  so  kind  and 
good  as  you  are !" 

"  It  was  against  the  authority  rather  than 
against  the  individual,  you  were  tempted  to  re- 
bel, dear  boys.  Casting  off  even  the  temporary 
rule  of  a  schoolmaster  is,  as  Satan  well  knows, 
a  wide  step  towards  casting  off  the  headship  of 
Christ.  It  is  less  startling  to  the  filial  mind  than 
direct  rebellion  against  a  parent ;  and  therefore 
it  seems  well  to  begin  with.  He  only  wants 
to  bring  into  direct  action  the  principle  of  diso- 
bedience, which  is  found,  alas !  in  every  child  of 
Adam ;  and  as  he  well  knows  there  is  no  stand- 
ing still,  if  he  sets  you  off  in  a  wrong  course, 
nothing  but  the  power  of  God  put  forth  to  stay 
you  can  prevent  your  proceeding  from  bad  to 
worse/' 


140  DANGERS   AND   DUTIES. 

Phil  observed  to  his  young  friends,  "  I  dare 
say  that  unhappy  boy  Martin  began  with  some 
small  act  of  disobedience,  at  home  or  at  school." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Mr.  Seymour :  "  but  you 
must  remember,  that  although  to  disobey  those 
in  authority  over  you  is  to  disobey  the  Lord  who 
gave  them  that  authority,  still  we  may  and  conti- 
nually do  break  God's  commandments,  and  rebel 
against  Him  without  infringing  any  law  of  sub- 
mission to  man.  What  we  are  speaking  of  is 
only  one  branch  of  Christian  duty  ;  and  I  must 
again  remind  you  that  obedience  to  man  be- 
comes a  sin  as  soon  as  man  requires  you  to  do 
any  thing  contrary  to  the  known  will  of  God." 

"I  see  that,  Papa,"  said  Edward.  "The 
father  of  a  family  might  become  a  Socialist,  and 
command  his  whole  household  to  follow  his 
example,  which  it  would  be  great  sin  in  them 
to  do." 

"  Exactly  so,  Edward." 

"  And  I  can  tell  you  something  quite  in 
point,"  said  Mr.  Wright,  "which  came  to  my 


DANGERS    AND   DUTIES.  141 

knowledge  only  this  morning.  Youn  know  the 
widow  Blake,  down  beyond  the  common  1" 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  several;  "and  that  nice 
fellow  John,  who  is  such  a  dutiful  son  to  her." 

"  Ay ;  but  John  has  become,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  a  disobedient  son.  It  seems,  a  Romish 
Priest  has  been  prowling  about  lately,  and  fall- 
ing in  with  the  widow  Blake,  won  her  over  to 
his  church,  of  which  not  Christ  but  Antichrist 
is  the  head.  For  a  while  this  was  concealed 
from  John,  who  was  out  all  day,  doing  messa- 
ges, and  otherwise  labouring  for  his  mother's 
support.  At  last  she  broke  the  matter  to  him, 
and  insisted  on  his  going  with  her  to  mass. 
John  had  a  Bible,  and  praying  for  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  read  that  Bible  with 
a  right  understanding  of  its  truths.  He  there- 
fore not  only  refused  to  embrace  a  false  religion, 
but  sought  to  bring  back  his  poor  mother  to 
the  fold  from  which  she  has  strayed.  For  this 
he  has  been  persecuted,  ill-used,  half-starved, 
and  constantly  threatened  with  the  wrath  of 
God  for  disobedience  to  his  mother ;  for  he  is 


142  DANGERS    AND    DUTIES. 

only  fourteen,  and  of  course  under  her  gov- 
ernance. He  bore  it  long  and  silently  ;  but 
now  his  miserable  parent  has  been  complaining 
to  different  gentlemen  who  employed  him  be- 
cause of  his  excellent  character  as  a  son,  and 
they  have  turned  him  off.  1  met  the  poor  fel- 
low in  tears,  this  morning,  and  prevailed  on  him 
to  tell  me  these  particulars.  He  is  mos!  cruelly 
used,  and  frightened  sometimes  by  their  re- 
proaches on  his  disobedience  ;  and  you  may  be 
sure  I  strengthened  him  as  well  as  I  could." 

"I  knew  something  of  this,"  said  Phil. 
"The  woman  came  with  her  story  to  Papa, 
when  I  was  with  him  ;  but  I  was  playing  with 
my  poor  dear  Cffisar,  and  did  not  much  mind 
what  passed.  Papa  observed,  when  she  was 
gone,  that  she  was  a  silly  old  goose  to  change 
her  rehgion,  but  that  John  had  no  right  to  take 
it  as  he  did  ;  for  Papa  said  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  was  a  Christian  church,  confessins: 
Christ,  and  worshipping  him ;  and  that  John 
had  no  business  to  be  so  illiberal." 


DANGERS    AND   DUTIES.  143 

"  How  many  apostles  were  there  1"  asked 
Mr.  Wright. 

"Twelve,"  said  the  boys,  rather  surprised 
at  the  question. 

"  They  were  privileged  men,  were  they  not, 
chosen  by  our  Lord,  and  sent  to  preach  in  his 
name,  and  to  do  miracles,  and  finally  to  be  wit- 
nesses of  his  resurrection,  and  to  order  the 
church  after  his  ascension  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Of  this  ministry  and  apostleship  Judas 
had  part :  and  you  remember  when  the  other 
eleven  were  with  our  Lord,  Judas,  being  still 
'  one  of  the  twelve,'  drew  near,  hailed  him  as 
Master,  and  kissed  him.  Now  I  ask  you,  was 
Judas  at  that  time  any  part  of  the  real  church 
of  Christ,  or  ought  any  Christian  to  be  found 
following  him  as  a  leader  and  an  example  ?" 

"  No,  no  :  certainly  not,"  cried  all  the  boys. 
"  He  was  a  vile  traitor,  and  his  death  very  soon 
after  removed  him  from  the  apostleship." 

"  Not  so  i"  said  Mr.  Wright.    "  Peter  ex- 


144  DANGERS    AND    DUTIES. 

pressly  calls  it  an  ofRce  '  from  which  Judas  by 
TRANSGRESSION  fell.'  He  is  never  spoken  of  as 
*  one  of  the  twelve,'  after  that  betraying  kiss. 
Always  bear  in  mind  that  a  church,  or  teacher, 
professing  the  name  of  Christian  but '  not  hold- 
ing the  Head,'  Christ,  according  to  the  way  in 
which  he  is  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures,  no  more 
belongs  to  his  body,  the  true  church,  than  Judas, 
the  son  of  perdition,  belonged  to  the  faithful 
company  of  real  apostles,  when  he  made  his 
loud  proclamation  of  his  Lord's  authority — his 
'  hail.  Master ' — a  signal  for  bearing  him  away 
to  prison  and  to  death." 

"  It  is  remarkable,"  observed  Mr.  Seymour, 
**  that  the  term  *  son  of  perdition,'  applied  by 
our  blessed  Lord  to  Judas  is  also  used  in  describ- 
ing the  Romish  apostasy,  in  the  second  epistle 
to  the  Thessalonians,  chapter  ii.  John  Blake  is 
right :  and  this  very  day  I  will  take  him  into  my 
house  as  a  servant ;  and  you,  boys,  when  you 
have  studied  the  subject  a  little  in  the  Bible, 
and  talked  it  over  with  your  tutor,  may  go  to 


DANGERS   AND   DUTIES.  145 

the  poor  deluded  widow,  and  oppose  the  pure 
gospel  to  that  lie  which  she  has  been  led  to  be- 
lieve. The  Romish  church  has  'by  trans- 
gression fallen'  from  the  body  of  true  believers ; 
she  demands  implicit  obedience  as  the  supreme 
vicegerent  of  Christ,  whereas  to  obey  her  is  to 
separate  from  the  Lord.  The  poor  Romanists 
are  entitled  to  our  pity,  our  prayers,  our  labours 
for  their  conversion ;  but  as  you  value  your 
souls,  have  nothing  to  do  with  their  idolatrous 
seligion." 

"  Is  a  Romanist  as  bad  as  a  Socialist,  sir  ?" 
said  Frank  to  the  tutor. 

"  If  you  ask  me  whether  Romanism  is  as 
bad  as  Socialism,  I  must  say  yes ;  because  it 
destroys  souls  no  less  surely,  and  far  more  insi- 
diously. The  Socialist  teacher  tells  his  hearers 
there  is  no  such  place  as  heaven  ;  and  so  they 
give  up  all  concern  about  eternity,  and  sin 
•without  restraint :  the  Romish  teacher  assures 
his  flock  there  is  a  heaven  prepared  for  such  as 
he  is  pleased  to  send  there,  and  for  no  others. 
13 


146  DANGERS   AND    DUTIES. 

He  tells  them  that  sin  unatoned  for  will  keep 
them  out  of  heaven  ;  but  that  they  may  sin  to 
any  extent,  with  perfect  safety,  if  they  inform 
him  of  it,  and  pay  him  a  sum  of  money.  Both 
are  contrary  not  only  to  God's  word  but  to 
man's  natural  reason  and  conscience.  Both  are 
snares  of  the  devil,  from  which  may  the  Lord 
in  his  mercy  graciously  deliver  us  all !" 

"  Amen  !"  said  Mr.  Seymour.  "  And  now 
as  we  are  just  home,  let  us  once  more  impress 
upon  our  minds  the  fact,  that  all  which  vfe 
have  seen  wrong  since  our  recent  conversation 
on  this  subject,  from  the  buying  of  a  piece  of 
smuggled  ribbon,  to  the  murder  of  poor  Clarke, 
all  have  arisen  from  neglect  of  the  divine  truth 
that  "  Christ  is  head  over  all  things  to  the 
church.'  '* 


PAUL, 

THE  MARTYR  OF  PALESTINE, 

A  CATHOMC  CHRISTIAN. 

A    NARRATIVE    OF   FACTS. 

BY    CHARLOTTE   ELIZABETH. 


PAUL, 

THE  MARTYR   OF  PALES  THE 


In  the  history  of  those  dreadful  persecutions 
which  raged  for  ten  years  against  the  Christians, 
commencing  in  the  year  303,  in  the  reign  of 
Diocletian,  we  meet  with  the  following  account 
of  a  person  named  Paul,  who,  for  refusing  to 
sacrifice  to  the  idols  of  the  heathen,  was  sen- 
tenced to  lose  his  head. 

"  Paul  begged  to  be  allowed  a  small  space 
of  time :  his  request  being  granted,  he  prayed 
with  a  loud  voice  for  the  whole  Christian  world, 
that  God  would  forgive  them,  remove  the  pre- 
sent heavy  scourge  of  their  iniquities,  and  re- 
store them  to  peace  and  liberty.  He  then  prayed 
for  the  Jews,  that  they  might  come  to  God,  and 

la* 


150  THE   MARTYR 

find  access  to  Him  through  Christ.  In  the  next 
place  he  prayed  that  the  same  blessings  might 
be  vouchsafed  to  the  Samaritans.  The  Gen- 
tiles who  lived  in  error  and  ignorance  of  God, 
were  the  next  objects  of  his  charitable  petitions, 
that  they  might  be  brought  to  know  God  and 
serve  Him :  nor  did  he  forget  to  mention  the 
crowd  around  him,  the  emperors,  the  judge  who 
had  sentenced  him,  and  the  executioner  ;  and  in 
the  hearing  of  all,  he  prayed  that  their  sins 
might  not  be  laid  to  their  charge.  The  whole 
company  was  moved,  and  tears  were  shed. 
The  martyr  composed  himself  to  suffer,  and 
offering  his  head  to  the  sword,  he  was  be- 
headed. 

"An  admirable  Christian  hero  !"  remarks  the 
historian  :  who  will  not  agree  with  him  ?  We 
live  in  times  when  the  violence  of  open  perse- 
cution is  restrained ;  Satan  wants  not  the  will 
to  injure  Christ's  people,  nor  would  he  be  at  a 
loss  for  ready  instruments  to  accomplish  his 
cruel  purposes,  if  the  Lord  withdrew  the  check 


OF   PALESTINE.  151 

which  his  providential  care  imposes  on  the  ene- 
mies of  rehgion ;  but  the  church  is  in  greater  dan- 
ger now,  from  the  lukewarm  spirit  that  a  sea- 
son of  perfect  tranquillity  is  apt  to  produce,  than 
from  such  fiery  trials  as  happened  unto  the  early 
professors  of  Christianity, 

Yet  the  same  foe  is  actively,  though  more 
secretly,  employed  for  our  destruction ;  and  the 
Christian,  ordained  through  much  tribulation  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  though  he  may 
not  have  to  wrestle  with  flesh  and  blood,  finds 
principalities  and  powers,  the  rulers  of  the 
darkness  of  this  world,  leagued  against  him  in 
an  opposition  so  fierce,  that  he  needs  the  whole 
armour  of  God  to  defend  him  from  their  as- 
saults. 

In  a  conflict  of  this  nature,  it  is  refreshing  to 
remember  those  who  have  fought  the  good  fight 
— finished  their  course — kept  the  faith,  and  en- 
tered into  the  joy  of  their  Lord.  They  endured, 
as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible,  and  found  Him 
a  very  present  help  in  trouble. 


152  THE   MARTYR 

We  will  consider  the  sufferings  and  exam- 
ple of  the  Martyr  of  Palestine,  whose  death  we 
bave  just  now  related ;  and  may  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  so  manifestly  supported  him,  bless 
to  our  souls  the  lesson  his  story  is  calculated  to 
impart. 

When  Paul  was  condemned  to  die,  and  was 
about  to  be  admitted  into  that  noble  army  of 
martyrs  who  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of 
Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God,  we  -find  he  re- 
quested a  little  space  of  time.  The  Lord  who 
willed  to  show  forth  in  him  the  power  of  his 
grace,  disposed  his  murderers  to  grant  it. 

Paul  did  not  make  use  of  this  respite  in  at- 
tempting to  move  the  hearts  of  those  around 
him  to  pity  and  to  spare ;  much  less  did  he 
waste  it  in  lamentations  oi  expressions  of  re- 
sentment :  he  would  indeed  gladly  have  called 
down  fire  from  heaven ;  but  it  was  that  which 
would  enlighten,  not  consume  his  enemies.  He 
sought  not  to  convince  them  by  any  powers  of 
argument ;  for,  alas !  they  were  so  sunk  and 


OF    PALESTINE.  153 

hardened  in  iniquity,  that  the  utmost  force  and 
beauty  of  reasoning  on  such  a  subject,  would 
have  been  but  as  pearls  cast  before  swine.  His 
few  remaining  moments  were  too  precious  to  be 
hazarded  in  uncertainty :  no — the  martyr  knew 
there  was  One  who  could  alone  fulfil  every  de- 
sire of  his  heart,  and  give  a  blessing  larger  than 
he  was  able  to  ask  or  think.  He  therefore 
prayed  :  he  prayed  aloud,  that  all  might  under- 
stand what  intercession  the  Holy  Ghost  is  wont 
to  make  by  the  mouths  of  those  in  whom  he 
dwells ;  and  he  prayed  confidently,  as  one  who 
was  assured  that,  in  whatsoever  he  asked  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God,  he  should  be  heard 
and  answered. 

The  first  object  of  Paul's  fervent  supplica- 
tion, was  the  whole  Christian  world  :  in  this  he 
followed  the  example  of  our  Lord,  who  espe- 
cially prayed  for  those  whom  the  Father  had 
given  Him ;  and  of  the  apostles,  who  so  earnest- 
ly and  affectionately  remembered  in  their 
prayers  the  children  of  God,  as  we  read  in  their 


154  THE   MARTYR 

epistles.  At  the  time  described,  the  Christian 
world  was  groaning  under  the  most  fierce  and  re- 
lentless persecution  ever  heard  of:  they  w  ere  ac- 
tually "  killed  all  the  day  long,"  and  "  account- 
ed as  sheep  for  the  slaughter."  Dreadful  tor- 
tures were  inflicted  upon  them,  without  regard 
to  sex  or  age ;  and  he  was  sure  to  obtain  the 
loudest  applause  and  highest  recompense,  who 
could  excel  others  in  devising  new  torments,  or 
in  dragging  a  greater  number  of  victims  to  the 
stake. 

Helpless,  inoffensive,  and  peaceable,  the 
Christians  had  given  no  provocation  to  their 
inhuman  rulers.  They  refused  to  bow  down  to 
graven  images  the  work  of  men's  hands,  or  to 
acknowledge  any  God  but  Jehovah,  the  living 
and  true  God ;  they  confessed  Jesus  Christ,  and 
would  not  blapheme  that  worthy  name  by  the 
which  they  were  called ;  but  personally  they 
resisted  not  the  evil,  cheerfully  resigning  their 
lives  rather  than  deny  the  faith.  Yet  Paul  dared 
not  to  speak  of  them  in  the  language  of  com- 


OF   PALESTINE.  155 

mendation  :  he  saw  a  sword  sent  through  the 
land  to  smite  them,  and  he  knew  that  their 
•wickedness  had  provoked  the  Lord  thus  to  visit 
them :  he  was  aware  that  the  heart  of  man  is 
deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wick- 
ed ;  that  in  the  season  of  prosperity  many  had 
forgotten  God,  who  now  felt  that  in  Him  alone 
they  could  be  justified  or  could  glory.  Like 
Daniel's,  this  martyr's  prayer  for  his  people  was 
an  humble  confession  of  their  sins,  entreating 
the  Lord  "  that  He  would  forgive  them,  remove 
the  present  heavy  scourge  of  their  iniquities, 
and  restore  them  to  peace  and  liberty." 

In  the  sight  of  mankind  these  victims  pre- 
sent a  most  glorious  spectacle  of  voluntary 
suffering  for  righteousness'  sake ;  but  in  that  of 
God,  all  their  weakness,  their  unfaithfulness, 
their  innumerable  transgressions  were  naked 
and  open.  He  saw  them  as  polluted  children  of 
the  dust,  defiled  by  continual  sins,  doomed  to 
everlasting  death,  and  redeemed  from  it  solely 
by  His  free  mercy  ;  made  what  they  then  ap- 


156  THE   MARTYR 

peared  by  His  grace,  and  by  that  alone  enabled 
to  continue  faithful  unto  death.  The  Christian 
will  draw  matter  of  humiliation  from  what 
would  puff  up  a  worldly  mind  with  pride,  and 
when  he  sees  any  one  earnest  in  working  out 
his  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  re- 
members that  it  is  God  who  worketh  in  him 
both  to  will  and  to  do,  of  His  good  pleasure. 
See,  therefore,  how  meekly  Paul  deprecates  the 
wrath  of  God  on  behalf  of  his  brethren,  and  how 
devoutly  he  prays  for  their  peace  and  liberty,  as 
an  unmerited  gift. 

Christian,  are  you  also  "praying  always, 
with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  Spirit, 
and  w:atching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance, 
and  supplication  for  all  saints  ?"  If  not,  you  ne- 
glect a  duty  enjoined  throughout  the  word  of 
God  ;  and  are  cruelly  indifferent  to  the  souls  of 
your  brethren.  When  Satan  and  his  angels  are 
continually  combining  with  the  world,  to  hurt,  to 
harm,  and  destroy  them,  can  you  refuse  the  help 
of  your  prayers  against  such  a  host  of  foes  ?  The 


OF   PALESTINE.  157 

principle  of  divine  love  must  be  weak  indeed  in 
your  heart,  if  it  produce  so  little  fuit  of  charity 
towards  the  household  of  faith. 

The  Martyr 'of  Palestine  then  prayed  for  the 
Jews,  '  that  they  might  come  to  God,  and  find 
access  to  Him  through  Christ."  Here,  also,  he 
bore  in  mind  the  example  of  Him  who  wept 
over  Jerusalem,  lamenting  that  she  would  not 
know  the  things  which  belonged  to  her  peace : 
he  sympathized  also  with  the  apostle  Paul,  who 
felt  great  heaviness,  and  continual  sorrow  in  his 
heart  for  his  brethren  "  who  are  Israelites,  to 
whom  pertaineth  the  adoption,  and  the  glory, 
and  the  covenants,  and  the  giving  of  the  law, 
and  the  service  of  God,  and  the  promises ;  whose 
are  the  fathers ;  and  of  whom,  as  concerning 
the  flesh,  Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God 
blessed  for  ever.     Amen." 

More  than  two  hundred  years  had  elapsed 

since  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  dispersion 

of  the  Jews  at  the  time  this  martyr  suffered : 

that  unhappy  nation  had  been  most  cruelly  for- 

14 


168  THE   MARTYR 

ward  and  active  in  persecuting  the  Christians, 
yet  how  anxiously  does  he  intercede  for  them  in 
the  hour  of  his  death  !  He  desires  they  may 
find  access  through  Christ,  whom  their  fathers 
slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree  ;  that  they  may  look 
on  Him  whom  they  pierced  and  mourn,  with 
that  godly  sorrow  which  worketh  repentance. 
He  knew  that  "  salvation  is  of  the  Jews,"  that 
though  exceedingly  afflicted,  scourged,  branded, 
scattered  among  all  nations,  meted  out,  and 
trodden  down,  they  were  stiil  God's  ancient 
people,  beloved  for  the  fathers'  sakes  ;  and  that 
the  casting  away  of  them  being  the  reconciling 
of  the  world,  the  receiving  of  them  shall  be  as 
life  from  the  dead.  It  is  wonderful  that  any 
person  who  reads  and  loves  the  Bible  can  ne- 
glect to  pray  for  the  Jews ;  or  regard  with  indif- 
ference the  signs  of  these  times,  that  now 
bespeak  their  approaching  restoration.  For 
nearly  eighteen  hundred  years  they  have  been 
a  reproach  to  all  that  are  about  them  j  but  now 
we  are  encouraged  to  believe  that  the  Lord  is 


OF   PALESTINE.  159 

lifting  up  a  standard  for  this  people ;  that  He 
will  arise  and  have  mercy  upon  Sion :  surely 
the  time  to  favour  her,  yea  the  set  time  is  come ; 
for  His  servants  take  pleasure  in  her  stones,  and 
favour  the  dust  thereof. 

The  Samaritans,  who  were  next  mentioned 
in  the  martyr's  prayer,  were  a  mixed  race, 
chiefly  of  Israelitish  origin,  but  maintaining  so 
bitter  a  controversy  with  those  of  Jerusalemj 
that  we  find  the  woman  of  Samaria,  as  record- 
ed in  the  fourth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel, 
wondering  that  our  Lord,  being  a  Jew,  should 
even  ask  a  draught  of  water  from  her.  In  this 
country  a  great  many  believers  were  added  to 
the  church,  under  the  ministry  of  Philip,  Peter, 
and  John  ;  but  now  all  were  scattered  and  op- 
pressed alike. 

Paul,  being  a  native  of  Palestine,  probably 
regarded  the  Samaritans  as  his  countrymen; 
and  surely  it  becomes  us  to  remember,  in  an 
especial  manner,  at  the  throne  of  grace,  the 
land  of  our  birth,  that  the  Lord  may  increase 


160  THE   MARTYR 

among  us  that  righteousness  which  exalteth  a 
nation,  and  acknowledge  us  for  His  own. 
"  Happy  is  that  people  that  is  in  such  a  case  : 
yea,  happy  is  that  people  whose  God  is  the 

LOKD." 

The  Gentiles  next  formed  the  subject  of 
Paul's  petitions,  "  that  they  might  be  brought 
to  know  God  and  to  serve  Him."  Had  the 
•  emphatic  command  of  our  Lord,  "  go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature,"  been  made  the  constant  rule  of  prac- 
tice in  the  Christian  church,  our  feelings  would 
not  now  be  wounded  by  the  dreadful  recitals  of 
gross  darkness  and  horrible  superstition  in 
which  so  many  millions  are  sunk.  It  is  a  la- 
mentable stain  upon  the  professors  of  our  holy 
religion  through  many  ages,  that  the  efforts  for 
its  extension  have  been  few,  faint,  and  short- 
lived. In  our  day  the  Spirit  is  more  abundant- 
ly poured  forth ;  exertions  are  made  to  send 
the  word  of  God  to  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation^  and  kindred,  and 


OF   PALESTINE.  161 

tongue,  and  people;  while  pious  men  go  forth 
as  Missionaries,  to  preach  among  the  Gentiles 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  With  hearts 
warmed  by  generous  pity  and  divine  zeal,  they 
go  to  proclaim  in  every  clime  the  invitation, 
"  look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends 
of  the  earth  ;  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none 
else."  They  appear  as  ambassadors  from 
Christ  unto  guilty,  ruined  men,  in  the  spirit  of 
St.  Paul,  when  he  says,  "  neither  count  I  my 
life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my 
course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I  have 
received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gospel 
of  the  grace  of  God."  But  while  rejoicing 
that  thus  it  now  is,  let  us  remember  that  though 
one  apostle  may  plant  and  another  water,  it  is 
God  alone  who  giveth  the  increase.  It  is  our 
duty  to  lend  every  aid  we  can  furnish  to  this 
glorious  cause,  always  helping  together  by 
prayer  for  them  :  "  pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest,  that  he  will  send  forth  labourers 
into  His  harvest."  The  fields  may  be  white, 
14* 


162  THE   MARTYR 

and  reapers  ready  to  go  forth,  but  they  must  be 
endued  with  power  from  on  high ;  God  must, 
by  his  own  Spirit,  make  His  word  effectual  in 
their  mouths.  Could  we  behold  but  a  very 
small  part  of  what  is  at  this  moment  passing 
in  those  cruel  habitations,  of  which  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth  are  full,  we  should  be  con- 
strained to  join  in  the  prayer  of  the  martyr, 
and  supplicate  that  God  would  arise  and  scatter 
all  spiritual  enemies,  that  His  way  may  be 
known  upon  earth.  His  saving  health  among 
all  nations,  that  He  may  take  to  Him  His  great 
power  and  reign,  and  cause  to  be  heard  that 
joyful  song,  "  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever." 
Hitherto  this  beautiful  prayer  of  the  martyr 
has  been  general,  and  divided  judiciously  into 
portions,  as  he  brought  the  wants  of  earth's  va- 
rious children  before  the  Lord.  The  little  space 
permitted  to  him  was  fast  elapsing,  and  he 
would  employ  his  remaining  breath  in  some- 


OF   PALESTI^fE.  163 

thing  more  immediately  connected  with  his 
present  circumstances.  What,  then,  was  the 
prayer  1  He  mentioned  "  the  crowd  about  him, 
the  emperors,  the  judge  who  had  sentenced 
him,  and  the  executioner :  and,  in  the  hearing 
of  all,  he  prayed  that  their  sins  might  not  be 
laid  to  their  charge."  This  was,  indeed,  a  glo- 
rious exhibition  of  that  charity  which  never 
faileth  !  We  sometimes  feel  that  we  can  par- 
don from  our  hearts  those  who  have  wronged 
us,  and  desire  that  the  Lord  should  forgive 
them  too  ;  but  not  ofter^  is  this  victory  over  our 
evil  and  revengeful  nature  attained  at  the  very 
moment  the  offence  is  received. 

If  this  be  the  general  experience  in  the 
petty  troubles  and  injuries  our  easy  life  is  ex- 
posed to,  what  a  shining  instance  of  the  power 
of  divine  grace  did  the  martyr  Paul  hold  forth 
at  that  hour!  The  crowd  around  him  were 
more  like  savage  tigers  thirsting  for  human 
blood,  than  rational  men  ;  they  had  raised  al- 
tars to  the  vilest  idols,  deifying  every  crime  that 


164  THE   MARTYR 

could  disgrace  humanity,  and  glorying  in  their 
shame.  On  these  monuments  of  infamy  they 
required  Christians  to  sacrifice  and  burn  incense; 
and,  on  their  refusal,  were  eagerly  awaiting 
the  sentence  of  the  presiding  magistrate,  to  tear 
them  limb  from  limb. 

The  judge  who  condemned  Paul,  was  a  wil- 
ling instrument  of  Satan's  utmost  rage  and  mal- 
ice against  the  people  of  God :  the  price  of 
blood  and  wages  of  unrighteousness  were  his 
daily  recompense,  and  by  the  furious  persecu- 
tion of  unoffending  Chyistians,  he  sought  to  re- 
commend himself  to  the  favour  of  his  no  less 
inhuman  master,  one  of  the  emperors  (likewise 
named  by  Paul),  Maximin,  who  ruled  over  Pal- 
estine, a  most  cruel  tyrant,  and  insatiable  in  his 
thirst  for  Christian  blood.  These  monarchs, 
•who  had  divided  among  themselves  the  great 
Roman  empire,  combined  to  oppress  the  follow- 
ers of  true  religion,  and  were  guilty  of  such 
barbarities  as  men  had  rarely  perpetrated.  One 
of  them,  Constantius  (father  of  the  first  Chris- 


OF   PALESTINE.  165 

tian  Emperor  Constantine  the' Great,  who 
afterwards  exalted  the  remnant  of  these  faithful 
sufferers  to  great  honour),  was  indeed  compar- " 
atively  mild  ;  but  the  other  was  most  merciless. 
For  these  men,  who  had  shed  more  innocent 
blood  than  can  be  computed,  and  for  the  very 
executioner  who  stood  ready  to  destroy  him, 
did  the  martyr  fervently  supplicate  his  God.  He 
viewed  them  as  those  who  must  erelong  ap- 
pear before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  to  ren- 
der a  strict  account  of  their  dreadful  deeds 
against  His  people,  of  whom  it  is  said, "  he 
that  toucheth  you,  toucheth  the  apple  of  His 
eye."  Paul  considered,  we  may  conceive,  the 
horrors  of  that  place,  "  where  the  worm  dieth 
not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched ;"  he  ponder- 
ed that  awful  question,  "  who  among  us  shall 
dwell  with  the  devouring  flame  1  who  among 
us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  ?"  and, 
in  the  view  of  those  eternal  torments,  pity  over- 
whelmed his  soul  for  the  blind  and  wretched 
beings  who  were  about  to  murder  him,  after 


166  ^HE   MARTYR 

the  hardness  of  their  impenitent  hearts  treasur- 
ing up  unto  themselves  wrath  against  the  day 
of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  righteous  judg- 
ment of  God,  who  will  render  to  every  man  ac- 
cording to  his  deeds.  He  felt  himself  a  par- 
doned and  ransomed  sinner,  by  grace  alone 
made  to  differ  from  them,  and  would  expend 
his  last  breath  in  imploring  that  raercy  for  them, 
which  they  sought  not  for  themselves,  that 
their  sins  might  rwt  be  laid  to  their  charge,  but 
taken  away  by  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  remem- 
bered no  more. 

Can  we  find  it  difficult  to  offer  such  a  prayer 
under  this  affecting  view  of  the  sinner's  case  ? 
If  the  offences  of  others  against  us  be  of  too 
trifling  a  nature  to  call  down  the  wrath  of  the 
Most  High  on  our  behalf,  does  it  become  us  to 
be  angry — to  clamour  for  our  hundred  pence 
when  ten  thousand  talents  have  be«i  forgiven 
us  ?  And  if  they  do  amount  to  serious  wrong, 
knowing  that  God  is  the  avenger  of  all  such, 
that  vengeance  is  His,  and  He  will  repay,  shall 


OF   PALESTINE.  167 

we  not  rather  implore  Him  to  have  compassion 
on  the  transgressors  7  When  the  summons 
arrives  and  death  seizes  them,  it  will  be  too  late 
to  intercede ;  we  may  and  must  pity,  but  can- 
not then  help  them.  "  Now  is  the  accepted 
time,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation ;"  now,  "  in 
every  thing,  by  prayer  and  supplication,  with 
thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be  made  known 
unto  God."  "  Pray  for  them  that  despitefully 
use  you  and  persecute  you :"  beseech  Him  to 
heal  every  dissension,  and  to  forgive  those  who 
trespass  against  you,  as  freely  as  you  desire  He 
should  pardon  your  own  offences. 

We  are  told  that  the  assembly  were  moved, 
and  tears  were  shed  during  the  affecting  pe- 
titions of  the  martyr;  but  we  cannot  now 
know  what  answer  the  Lord  might  vouchsafe : 
the  great  day  will  reveal  it.  When  St.  Stephen 
was  put  to  death,  he  interceded  for  his  destroy- 
ers in  the  same  words :  among  them,  the  most 
conspicuous  for  persecuting  zeal,  was  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  afterwards   the  blessed   apostle  Paul. 


168  THE   MARTYR 

Such  an  instance  cannot  but  be  highly  encour- 
aging to  a  devout  reader  of  Scripture.  The 
martyr  of  Palestine  was  evidently  one  of  these, 
and  he  went  to  join  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect — to  rejoice  in  a  triumph  far  more  glo- 
rious than  his  sufferings  and  humiliation  were 
severe.  "  These  are  they  which  came  out  of 
great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes 
and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb: 
therefore,  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God, 
and  serve  Him  day  and  night  in  His  temple, 
and  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 
among  them ;  they  shall  hunger  no  more,  nei- 
ther thirst  any  more ;  neither  shall  the  sun 
light  on  them,  nor  any  heat,  for  the  Lamb 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed 
them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains 
of  waters  ;  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes." 

In  the  title-page  of  this  little  work  we  have 
described  Paul  as  a  Catholic  Christian.  What 
do  we  mean  by  Catholic  ?     The  word  signifies 


OF   PALESTINE.  169 

general  or  universal.  It  is  the  term  applied  to 
the  true  Church,  which  consists  of"  all  who  love 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity :"  all  that  in 
every  place  call  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  both  theirs  and  ours."  It  will  be 
found  at  the  day  of  judgment  to  consist  of  "  a 
great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number, 
of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and 
tongues."  The  Roman  Church,  which  now  as- 
sumes to  itself  the  title  of  Catholic,  formed,  in 
the  days  of  Paul,  a  small  portion  of  this  Chris- 
tian company  ;  but  it  had  not  then  experienced 
to  that  extent  those  corruptions  which  led  to  a 
great  falling  away  from  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel.  Among  the  Christians  of  those  timts 
the  Scriptures  were  generally  known  and  read. 
No  teacher  dared  to  forbid  the  free  use  of  the 
sacred  volume;  consequently  the  people  be- 
lieved what  the  Prophets,  Evangelists,  and 
Apostles  had  taught,  and  no  more — that  is  to 
say,  they  had  not  yet  made  void  the  command- 
ments of  God  through  the  traditions  of  men. 
15 


170  THE   MARTYR 

Such  a  place  as  purgatory  had  never  been  heard 
of.  Paul  the  martyr  had  not  the  miserable  pros- 
pect of  being  cast  into  flames,  when  he  had 
laid  down  his  life  for  the  profession  of  the  gos- 
pel. Christians  then  very  well  knew  that  to  be 
absent  from  the  body  w^as  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord  ;  that  he  who  could  say,  "  to  me  to 
live  is  Christ,"  might  confidently  add,  "  to  die 
is  gain."  No  one  dreamed  of  praying  for  the 
dead,  whose  future  state,  whether  of  good  or 
evil,  they  knew  was  eternally  and  unchangea- 
bly fixed.  Masses,  therefore,  were  not  offered 
for  souls,  to  enrich  the  clergy.  Pardon  is  the 
gift  of  God  ;  and  we  know  what  St.  Peter  said 
to  Simon  Magus,  when  he  wanted  to  purchase 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  "  thy  money  perish 
with  thee,  because  thou  hast  thought  that  the 
gift  of  God  may  be  purchased  with  money." 
Nor  had  so  strange  a  doctrine  as  what  is  called 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  been  introduced. 
Taught  by  the  word  of  God,  every  Christian 
knew  that "  Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the 


1 


OF   PALESTINE.  171 

sin  of  many  ;"  and  "  after  He  had  offered  one 
sacrifice  for  sins,  for  ever  sat  down  on  the  right 
hand  of  God,"  by  which  it  is  plainly  shown 
that  neither  is  any  farther  sacrifice  necessary, 
nor  can  the  Lord  personally  appear  upon  their 
altars,  since  it  is  contrary  to  reason,  and  indeed 
manifestly  impossible,  that  the  same  body  should 
be  in  two  places  at  the  same  time.  In  his  hu- 
man nature  the  Lord  Jesus  ascended  into  hea- 
ven, there  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for 
us,  and  by  his  Divine  power  He  is  present  at  all 
times  with  his  faithful  worshippers,  as  the  light 
of  the  sun  pervades  every  object  brought  be- 
neath its  beams,  while  the  sun  itself  remains 
fixed  in  its  appointed  station  far  above  us.  Our 
Lord  appears  no  more  in  the  body  upon  earth, 
until  his  second  coming  to  judge  the  world. 
Instructed  by  the  dying  command  of  their  Mas- 
ter, as  recorded  by  the  Evangelists,  the  Chris- 
tians ate  the  bread  and  drank  the  wine,  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  in  remem- 
brance of  Him ;  and  to  signify,  that  as  their 


172  THE   MARTYR 

bodies  were  nourished  by  those  elements,  so  must 
their  souls  subsist  on  the  spiritual  nutriment  af- 
forded by  Him  who  is,  metaphorically,  the 
Bread  of  Life  ;  feeding  on  Him  in  their  hearts 
by  faith,  and  assured  that  in  the  due  celebration 
of  the  rite  he  had  ordained,  they  would  receive 
large  supplies  of  grace,  and  new  power  to  walk 
in  the  way  of  His  commandments.  Image- 
worship,  or  the  use  of  images  in  any  way  in  the 
religious  services,  was  to  them  so  far  from  be- 
ing considered  lawful  among  Christians,  that 
they  resisted  unto  blood,  yea  unto  death  itself, 
the  sin  ofpractising  these  heathenish  ceremonies. 
As  to  holy  water,  as  it  is  called,  one  of  these 
persecuting  emperors,  Maximin,  thought  to 
starve  the  Christians,  by  causing  all  the  provi- 
sions in  the  market  to  be  sprinkled  with  liba- 
tions, or  consecrated  liquor ;  knowing  it  would 
so  pollute  the  food  in  the  estimation  of  these 
pure  worshippers  that  they  would  rather  die 
than  eat  of  it. 

In  the  prayer  of  Paul  we  find  no  invocatioa 


OF   PALESTINE.  173 

of  saints,  no  mention  of  human  merits,  ho  hope 
of  justification  by  works,  no  dread  of  an  imper- 
fect salvation  and  future  suffering  to  complete  it. 
He  prayed  to  the  one  Jehovah,  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  Creator,  Redeemer,  and  Sanc- 
tifier  ;  in  so  doing,  he  proved  himself  a  Catho- 
lic Christian,  holding  the  head,  which  is  Christ, 
and  building  up  himself  in  his  most  holy  faith. 
Paul  knew  the  prophecy  recorded  in  the  fourth 
chapter  of  the  first  Epistle  to  Timothy,  "  in  the 
latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith, 
giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of 
devils ;  speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy,  having  their 
conscience  seared  with  a  hot  iron  ;  forbidding 
to  marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain  from 
meats,  which  God  hath  created  to  be  received 
with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and 
know  the  truth."  But  he  died  long  before  the 
prediction  began  to  be  fulfilled — before  pastors, 
calling  themselves  Christians,  and  successors  of 
the  apostles,  ventured  to  hide  from  the  people 
those  Scriptures  which  are  given  as  the  rule  of 
15* 


174  THE    MARTYR 

our  faith,  and  the  sure  test  whereby  to  try  all 
doctrines.  There  is  a  prophecy  in  the  ninth 
chapter  of  Daniel,  twenty-fourth  and  two  fol- 
lowing verses,  so  clearly  proving  that  the  Mes- 
siah must  have  appeared  long  since,  and  so 
plainly  setting  forth  the  true  object  of  His  com- 
ing, that  the  unbelieving  teachers  of  the  Jews 
have  denounced  a  curse  on  any  of  their  race 
who  shall  endeavour  to  explain  that  prediction, 
knowing  that  its  evidence  is  so  undeniable,  as 
to  convince  any  unprejudiced  mind  :  but  they 
never  dared  to  withhold  the  volume;  nor 
would  the  Jews,  in  their  most  debased  state,  en- 
dure such  an  encroachment  on  their  privileges. 
The  Bible  is  every  man's  property  ;  every  in- 
dividual has  as  free  a  right  to  examine  it  as  to 
breathe  the  air  of  heaven  ;  nay,  it  is  as  necessa- 
ry to  the  well-being  of  his  soul,  as  that  air  is  to 
the  continuance  of  his  mortal  life.  Paul,  the 
faithful  martyr  of  Palestine,  the  Catholic  Chris- 
tian, whose  universal  love  embraced  the  whole 
human  race,  was  a  beautiful  instance  of  the 


OF  PALESTINE.  175 

power  of  God  in  purifying  the  mind,  ennobling 
the  feeUngs,  and  confirming  the  faith  of  His 
chosen  people :  he  knew  in  whom  he  had  believ- 
ed ;  he  found  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in 
his  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  experienced 
that  nothing  could  separate  him  from  that  ever- 
lasting love. 

We  are  told  of  some  "  of  whom  the  world 
was  not  worthy  ;"  who  "  had  trials  of  cruel 
mockings  and  scourgings,  yea,  moreover,  of 
bonds  and  imprisonment:  they  were  stoned, 
they  were  sawn  asunder,  were  tempted,  were 
slain  with  the  sword  :  they  wandered  about  in 
sheep-skins  and  goat-skins,  being  destitute, 
afflicted,  tormented.  They  wandered  in  des- 
erts and  in  mountains,  and  in  dens  and  caves  of 
the  earth."  We  probably  think  that  had  we 
lived  in  their  days,  we  should  have  partaken 
joyfully  of  their  sufferings,  and  given  as  bright 
a  testimony  of  living  faith :  but  do  we  prove  it 
in  any  degree,  by  bearing  with  a  truly  Christian 
spirit  our  appointed  crosses,  light  as  they  must 


176  THE   MARTYR 

be  in  comparison  to  those  of  the  martyrs  1  Do 
we  humble  ourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of 
God,  when  stretched  forth  to  afflict  us  ?  Are 
we  zealous  for  His  glory,  adorning  the  doctrine 
of  God  our  Saviour  in  all  things,  by  a  holy,  un- 
blamable life,  and  leading  those  under  oUr  in- 
fluence to  do  the  same  ?  Are  we  urgent  in 
prayer  for  the  Christian  world,  for  the  Jew,  for 
our  own  country,  for  the  heathen,  and  especially 
for  those  whose  conduct  may  tempt  us  to  a 
breach  of  brotherly  love  1  Are  we  kind  one 
to  another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  an- 
other, even  as  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  hath  for- 
given us  7  Do  we  renounce  the  world,  the 
flesh,  and  the  devil  ?  Do  we  deny  ourselves, 
and  abstain  from  luxury  and  self-indulgence  in 
order  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  the  poor  1 
Do  we  sell  alf,  devote  all  that  we  have  to  the 
service  of  God?  Do  we  feed  the  hungry, 
clothe  the  naked,  visit  the  sick  and  those  who 
are  in  prison  ? 

Of  Paul,  the  martyr,  we  may  conclude,  from 


OF  PALESTINE.  177 

what  we  know  of  the  fruits  his  faith  bore,  that 
in  every  relation  of  life  he  would  have  been  a 
pattern  of  good  works.  As  a  parent,  bringing 
up  his  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord  ;  as  a  son^  he  would  be  dutiful  and 
kind ;  as  a  master,  leading  his  household  to 
serve  the  Lord ;  as  a  subject,  obedient  and 
peaceable,  submitting  himself  to  every  ordi- 
nance of  man  for  the  Lord's  sake :  in  every 
character  labouring  for  the  extension  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  and  desiring  that  His  will  might  be 
done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven. 

Such  is,  such  ought  to  be,  the  character  of 
a  Catholic  Christian :  the  Scriptures  represent 
it  so ;  and  though  the  ungodly  may  deride  it 
as  unnecessary,  and  the  superstitious  object  to  it 
as  too  simple,  and  the  mere  professor  complain 
that  such  perfection  is  unattainable,  we  must 
reply,  that  God  is  able  to  make  all  grace 
abound  towards  us ;  that  a  new  heart  and  a  new 
spirit  are  his  gift,  offered  to  all  who  seek  it,  and 
sufficient  to  make  us,  with  the  guidance  of  the 


178  THE   MARTYR 

Holy   Scriptures,  thoroughly   furnished    unto 
every  good  word  and  work. 

To  those  Scriptures  of  truth,  in  every  point, 
we  appeal :  "  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony : 
if  they  speak  not  according  to  this  word,  it  is 
because  there  is  no  light  in  them." 

THE  MARTYR. 

Dyed  in  his  life-blood's  crimson  stain, 
The  martyr's  robe  is  rich  and  bright; 

But  ere  a  glorious  rest  he  gain, 
The  Saviour's  blood  must  make  it  white. 

Oh,  not  of  works!  no  boast  of  man 
In  heaven's  high  courts  can  find  a  place  ; 

Of  grace  alone,  salvation's  plan, 
Be  all  the  praise  to  sov'reign  grace ! 

It  is  not  that  they  dared  to  die: 

The  world  can  show  her  martyrs  too ; 
Pride  oft  hath  fram'd  a  specious  lie. 

And  led  her  wretched  votary  through. 
It  is  because  the  deep-struck  root 

Bore  on  its  stem  a  large  increase ; 
And  richly  fed  the  ripening  fruit, 

In  righteousness,  and  joy,  and  peace. 


OF   PALESTINE.  179 

Safe  from  the  world's  delusive  snare, 
Untainted  by  her  noxious  breath, 

One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  hope  they  share, 
And  welcome  sorrow,  pain,  or  death. 

Taught  to  abound,  no  treasures  lure 
Their  steadfast  soul  from  Jesus'  love  ; 

And  taught  to  suffer,  they  endure, 
As  gazing  on  their  crown  above. 

Be  ours  the  crown — be  ours  the  cross, 
Let  Christ  impart  this  grace  divine ; 

And  scorn'd  be  all  the  idol  dross 
That  glitters  in  an  earthly  mine  ! 

The  Spirit  shall  his  will  declare, 
And  guide  our  steps  to  seek  his  ways ; 

W6'll  watch  our  time,  in  faith  and  prayer, 
Then  pass  eternity  in  praise. 


THE   END. 


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